FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – Humane Fort Wayne has had some big and exciting changes recently and the group is hoping to keep the ball rolling with a million-dollar boost from PetSmart Charities. The money granted to Humane Fort Wayne will support the expansion of their clinic on Maycrest Drive.
The following was released:
50 million pets in the U.S. experience a lack of access to even basic veterinary care. Rising costs and other barriers mean these pets struggle to access services such as spay/neuter procedures, vaccinations and critical medical and preventative care. With as many as 70% of households now including pets, this issue affects families in nearly every community.
PetSmart Charities has committed $100 million over the next five years toward improving access to veterinary care. The “Accelerator” low-cost veterinary care grant program is a key part of this effort. These grants support the expansion of low-cost veterinary care by funding growth and operations for up to four years for nonprofit clinics looking to expand their services, serve their communities better and inspire other veterinary providers by sharing their experiences.
The grant made to Humane Fort Wayne in the amount of one million dollars will support the expansion of their Maycrest Drive clinic operations and will convert the clinic to become a fully public-facing affordable spay/neuter surgical center. The anticipated impact on local pets and families include doubling the number of affordable spays and neuters offered as well as an increase in the types services the nonprofit clinic provides.
“We were honored to receive the first phase of funding ($150,000) from PetSmart Charities in 2023 and have spent the last year learning alongside other grant recipients about best practices in clinic management and ways to improve upon our programs. This additional funding in phase two of the grant will support us as we now grow those services and work to further strengthen the bond between pets and their people,” said Humane Fort Wayne’s executive director, Jessica Henry-Johnson.
Overwhelmingly, people consider their pets important members of the family. Pets make a significant impact in the health and wellness of the people they love. This grant will enable more families to get the preventative and standard care that ensures their pets thrive at home and stay out of shelters.
“Our veterinary system is in crisis,” said Kate Atema, director of community grants and initiatives at PetSmart Charities. “Rising costs are putting standard veterinary care out of reach for as much as 50% of pet-owning families. We need innovative solutions that make veterinary care affordable for the families in every community who want the best for their four-legged companions but struggle to meet the cost of vet care. We’re inspired by the incredible work Humane Fort Wayne is doing to create solutions that will build strong families and a healthy community.”
“As always, Humane Fort Wayne is working to respond to the greatest needs in our community. On January 6, 2025, we moved our basic wellness clinic operations from their current home at 1333 Maycrest Drive to our new, state-of-the-art facility at 901 Leesburg Road. Furthermore, by the second quarter of 2025, all surgeries performed at our Maycrest Drive location will be earmarked exclusively for owned cats and dogs, while all shelter sterilizations will now take place on Leesburg Road.
This means that we’ll be able to help twice as many family pets and twice as many shelter pets too,” said Henry-Johnson. She continued, “Humane Fort Wayne offers the only affordable high volume spay/neuter/wellness veterinary services in northeast Indiana, and thanks to this tremendous support from PetSmart Charities, we’ll be able to help countless more animals live healthier, happier lives!”
Anyone interested in accessing affordable veterinary care can learn more and schedule services HERE
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