Wag! Awards Grants to Help Improve the Lives of New York City’s Dogs

In the spirit of improving the lives of pets in local communities, Wag! has awarded $5,000 community-impact grants to five New York City animal-welfare organizations to support their work.

“Wag! has supported animal-welfare since our founding in 2015, and we’re always looking for ways to improve the lives of pets and pet parents,” says Hilary Schneider, CEO of Wag! “We’re also committed to supporting New York City organizations who share our mission of creating joyful and healthier lives for dogs.”

Wag! launched its community-impact grants program in July 2018 and has awarded grants to each of the following non-profit organizations: 

• Animal Care Centers of NYC, one of the largest welfare organizations in the country, which plans to use the additional funding to purchase supplies such as high-quality toys and treats to improve the lives of canine residents as they search for their forever homes.
• Bideawee, one of America’s first no-kill animal rescues, plans to use the grant to support its “Second Start” program in which they rescue animals from municipal shelters where they are at high-risk of euthanasia.
• Muddy Paws Rescue a foster-based rescue group that will use the grant to provide more resources to foster families, in turn lowering the financial burden on these families and allowing for the expansion of its network of foster homes.
• Pets Are Wonderful Support (PAWS), an organization serving New York City residents who are most at risk of losing their animal companions due to physical and financial obstacles such as low-income seniors and those with an illness or disability. This grant will be used to bring the services to an increased number of pets in need and keep them out of shelters.
• Washington Square Park Dog Run Association, created by the community 10 years ago to maintain the run and provide a safe place for dogs and their owners to interact and socialize.The association will use the grant to replenish dog run surfaces, maintain fences and infrastructure, and cement coverage of exposed metal surfaces.

Wag! will award community impact grants on a rolling basis to 501(c)3 organizations within the New York City area in the below categories.

• Rescue Organizations: organizations or projects dedicated to taking in unwanted, abandoned, abused, or stray dogs and placing them in forever homes.
  
• Shelters: organizations or projects that provide abandoned dogs with quality food, shelter, and medical attention in the effort to find them permanent homes.
  
• Dog Parks/Runs: organizations or projects focused on renovating and improving existing dog parks and runs.
  

Photo Caption:  Pictured are the PAWS NY staff from left to right: Ashley Miller (Community Outreach Manager), Carrie Finch (Program Director), Rachel Herman (Founder/Executive Director), and Liz DeSimone (Program Manager) with pup Folly.  

About Wag!

Wag!’s mobile app gives pet parents more flexibility to manage everyday life and instant access to experienced and trustworthy dog walkers in their communities. Wag! walks are insured and bonded, and every walker must pass a robust vetting process before being invited to walk dogs on the platform. Wag! donates proceeds from every walk to the Rescue Bank and has provided more than 5 million meals to shelter dogs across the United States.