The Banfield Foundation, a nonprofit focused on improving the well-being of pets, has launched with an inaugural $200,000 commitment over three years to the American Veterinary Medical Foundation.
The money will support the foundation’s Our Oath in Action initiative, which connects members of the veterinary field with volunteer opportunities, the nonprofit said Tuesday
“By funding programs such as Our Oath in Action, we are demonstrating our commitment to giving back to communities in need,” Lilisa Hall, the newly appointed executive director of the Banfield Foundation, said.
The Banfield Foundation was set up by Banfield Pet Hospital in May. The foundation is a separate agency but shares the pet hospital’s focus on improving the well-being of pets and the science of veterinary medicine.
Through grants and service programs, the foundation strengthens “the pet welfare community, providing disaster relief for pets and advancing the science of veterinary medicine through fostering innovation and education,” according to the news release.
The foundation’s launch arrives as Banfield Pet Hospital prepares to relocate its corporate headquarters from Portland to east Vancouver. Kim Van Syoc, a spokeswoman for Banfield Pet Hospital, said the foundation “and its associates will move in tandem with Banfield Hospital to the new headquarters in Vancouver.”
The foundation currently employs four people, Van Syoc said, and its new director of development and fundraising will join the foundation at the end of this month.
The foundation has yet to decide how much money it will donate annually, Van Syoc said. “However, the foundation is already accepting grant applications for the next grant cycle,” Van Syoc said in an email. “More details about these grants will be shared at the end of October.”
