17 Pet Charities to Donate to This Giving Tuesday

After all of the indulgence of Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday, it can feel good to pay our good fortune forward. That’s where Giving Tuesday comes in. Started in 2012 by Henry Timms of the 92nd Street Y in New York City, the initiative encourages people to do good for the world and put some of their time and money toward worthy causes. For pet parents and admirers interested in helping out pets specifically, we put together a list of pet charities that you could donate to on this Giving Tuesday.

1. Blind Cat Rescue

Blind Cat Rescue was founded in 2005 to house blind cats who were going to be put down by their shelters. In 2011, the founders — a mother and daughter team — expanded their efforts to create a second shelter for Leukemia positive (FELV-positive) and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV-positive) cats. They currently care for over 60 cats in cage-free, no-kill shelters.

.If you would like to donate to and learn more about Blind Cat Rescue, click here.

2. Feeding Pets of the Homeless

Feeding Pets of the Homeless is a national nonprofit that helps people experiencing homelessness access food and emergency healthcare for their beloved pets. The organization provides pet food donation sites, wellness clinics, and pet crates, so that people can keep their pets by their side, and make sure they stay healthy and happy. As the website says: “Homeless individuals tell us that their pets offer them unconditional companionship. Their pets, just like your pet, offers them comfort, loyalty and love in the form of licks and wagging tails.”

If you would like to donate to and learn more about Feeding the Pets of the Homeless, click here.

3. Marley’s Mutts

Zach Skow was diagnosed with end-stage liver disease in 2009; when he left the hospital, he decided to give back to the dogs who had helped him stay strong along the way, and Marley Mutts was born. Within a decade, Marley Mutts all but eliminate euthanasia in its home base of Kern County. The organization now has a 20-acre ranch that houses about 75 animals and has branched out to include major rescue missions, including evacuating 300 animals from Afghanistan to Canada to be reunited with their families or adopted.

If you would like to donate to and learn more about Marley’s Mutts, click here.

4. The Animal Pad

Animal Pad rescues dogs from the high kill shelters and streets of San Diego, Southern California, and Mexico. Their 300 volunteers drive in and out of the country, searching for dogs — often with medical issues from their lives born on the street — and rehabilitating them for happy lives in forever homes. Each subscription to The Wildest Pack means a donation to Animal Pad.

If you would like to donate to and learn more about The Animal Pad, click here.

5. Dr. Kwane Stewart a.k.a. “The Street Vet” 

Dr. Kwane Stewart has been treating the pets of unhoused people for about a decade, helping them access medication and treatments for their beloved animals. He aims not only to save animals but also to shift common biases about people experiencing homelessness. As he writes on his GoFundMe page, “Project Street Vet is committed to protecting the human-animal bond that is so vital to the livelihood of not only these pets, but to the people who love them, too.” His non-profit outreach is funded entirely through donations.

If you would like to donate to and learn more about Dr. Kwane Stewart, click here.

6. Lanai Cat Sanctuary

Founded in response to the large stray cat population on the Hawaiian island of Lanai and the lack of veterinary resources on the island, Lanai Cat Sanctuary currently houses over 600 cats on 3.5 acres of land. There, cats are given medical help, shelter, and lots of love. The sanctuary is entirely funded by donations; for $25, you can feed 140 cats for a day. You can also sponsor a specific cat to receive updates about their happy, free-roaming life.

If you would like to donate to and learn more about Lanai Cat Sanctuary, click here.

7. Pilots to the Rescue

Pilots to the Rescue has been rescuing animals and relocating them for the better part of the past decade. The nonprofit supports a network of trained volunteer pilots whose missions involve collecting animals from kill shelters and relocating them to less crowded groups or potential adopters. Pilots to the Rescue is often one of the first animal organizations to respond to natural disasters, including Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Fiona.

If you would like to donate to and learn more about Pilots to the Rescue, click here.

8. Stray Cat Alliance

Stray Cat Alliance save the lives of cats in a number of ways: They find foster and forever homes for homeless kitties through their adoption program (1,600 in 2022!), manage feral cat colonies by conducting targeted Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) efforts in South Los Angeles neighborhoods, donate food to community cat caregivers, and take in newborn kittens from local shelters who need to be bottle-fed to survive. They also partner with Cat Cafe Lounge, which showcases their adoptable cats.

If you would like to donate to and learn more about Stray Cat Alliance, click here.

9. Rescue Rebuild

Rescue Rebuild is a program that recruits volunteers to help renovate and rebuild animal shelters around the country to make them more hospitable for pets. They also help renovate domestic violence and homeless shelters to make them more animal friendly so that the people checking into these spaces can keep their beloved pets with them.

If you would like to donate to and learn more about Rescue Rebuild, click here.

10. Paws for Life

Paws for Life is a California-based charity that takes dogs from city and county shelters from around the state and pairs them with incarcerated individuals who have undergone rigorous training to become dog trainers. Some of the dogs are trained to be service dogs for military veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Others are prepared for their Canine Good Citizen (CGC) certification, and then adopted out to families.

If you would like to donate to and learn more about Paws for Life, click here.

11. America’s Vet Dogs

America’s Vet Dogs is a New York-based charity that helps place specially trained service dogs with veterans and first responders in need — at no cost. They offer service and guide dogs who can help with PTSD, hearing and vision loss, seizure disorders, and physical injuries. As they say: “Our mission is to help those who have served our country honorably live with dignity and independence.”

If you would like to donate to and learn more about America’s Vet Dogs, click here.

12. The Mr. Mo Project

The Mr. Mo Project is dedicated toward providing aid for elderly dogs who are often abandoned or surrendered to shelters because of the increased price of their care. Started by Mariesa and Chris Hughes after their own personal heartbreaking experience caring for their senior dog, Mo, the organization partners with rescue affiliates and volunteers to provide lifelong support by paying vet bills. With participants in New York, Ohio, and Florida, The Mr. Mo Project is striving to make a national impact improving the welfare of older dogs across states.

If you would like to donate to and learn more about The Mr. Mo Project, click here.

13. Texas Coalition for Animal Protection

When the Texas Coalition for Animal Protection (TCAP) was started in 2002, its original focus was on providing affordable spaying and neutering services for pets. Since then, it’s expanded to provide a range of other services, including dental cleanings, heartworm prevention, and microchipping for pets whose owners might not be able to afford these services otherwise. According to their website, the TCAP’s costs are typically 70 percent lower than what typical veterinary clinics charge.

If you would like to donate to and learn more about the Texas Coalition for Animal Protection, click here.

14. Neighborhood Cats

The New York City group Neighborhood Cats has been at the forefront of developing best practices to deal with feral and stray cats for years. Specifically, the group helps facilitate Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) efforts around the city. Cats are gathered up and taken to veterinary clinics where they are spayed or neutered, and vaccinated. Then, those that are not suitable for adoption are returned to their original habitat, where, because they’ve been neutered, the population of strays is less likely to grow, and they’re less likely to engage in nuisance behavior. It’s good for the cats, and good for the neighborhood!

If you would like to donate to and learn more about Neighborhood Cats, click here.

15. Unchain OK

Unchain OK (Oklahoma Animal Alliance) is a volunteer-based organization focused on ending one of the most common forms of animal abuse — chaining. Chained dogs often face emotional and mental challenges because of the isolation of that experience. Beyond that, chained animals are easy targets for abusers and predators. Unchain OK works to educate pet parents about the dangers associated with chaining dogs, while also providing alternatives and other basic needs, including doghouses, straw, food, and trolleys. 

If you would like to donate to and learn more about Unchain OK, click here.

16. Muttville Senior Dog Rescue

Muttville focuses on protecting senior and other less desirable adoptees who would be euthanized in other shelters. Their shelter is cage-free and provides medical care and foster opportunities. To date, Muttville has rescued over 10,000 dogs and adopted countless out through events and outreach.

If you would like to donate to and learn more about Muttville Senior Dog Rescue, click here.

17. Pup Culture Rescue

Founded by CEO and author Victoria Lily Shaffer, Pup Culture Rescue saves homeless and mistreated animals both locally and internationally. They then provide medical treatment and rehabilitation with the aim of finding them forever homes.

If you would like to donate to and learn more about Pup Culture, click here.