US couple donates $250 million to animal support and welfare organisations, allowing veterinary care access to millions of families and their pets over the next five years

When you get a pet, they are not just another being added to your family; they become the centre of it. The one who holds all the love from all the members and becomes the emotional cornerstone of belongingness in the house. But across America, pet care and health are not something easily accessible and financially affordable for everyone. Hoping to change this and allow millions of pet owners to access critical veterinary care beyond their budgets, a philanthropic organisation has announced a groundbreaking $250 million commitment over the next five years.Made by the Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation, it represents one of the largest private philanthropic investments ever made in American history to expand access to nonprofit community veterinary care. The Duffield Big Best for Pets will support community-based organisations working to expand access to veterinary care for family pets, invest in research and other strategies to advance progress in closing the gap in access to veterinary care. The initiative will roll out multiple investments and grant opportunities over the next 5 years, and the first 2 launch have launched already.Duffield Boost Grants is a collective $2.5 million grant opportunity that will provide 250 grants of $10,000 each to nonprofit community veterinary care providers nationwide. Expanding Access Grants will establish a $10 million pool for significant, multi-year grants for established nonprofit community veterinary clinics that are ready to expand their capacity to reach more pets in need.“The lack of access to affordable veterinary care is one of the most urgent and actionable challenges facing pets and the people who love them,” said Amy Mills, vice president of access to care at the Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation. “Through Big Bet for Pets, we are investing in a future where every pet has access to the veterinary care they need, and every family can care for the animals they love.”Success in building and delivering innovation at six enterprise software companies, including PeopleSoft, Workday, and today, Ridgeline, has allowed billionaire software engineer, Cornell alum, and philanthropist Dave Duffield to give away heaps of the proceeds to charitable causes close to his heart, and to that of his wife, Cheryl. The couple has already donated more than $300 million to companion animal support and welfare organisations.Dave and Cheryl Duffield have funded companion-animal causes for more than 30 years, most notably through Maddie’s Fund, which they built into one of the largest private foundations supporting shelters and companion-animal organisations. The Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation itself was established in 2016 and also backs programs pairing veterans with service dogs and supporting local public service organisations, alongside Maddie’s Fund and Liberty Dogs.Their latest donation takes the total past $500 million with the ‘Big Bet for Pets’, an initiative that builds on this legacy by addressing the veterinary care gap in America, which the foundation estimates impacts 50 million dogs and cats nationwide. This gap is largely the result of financial barriers to care, leaving millions of pets without routine, preventive, and lifesaving veterinary services.“Pets are members of our families, and they need veterinary care to live long, healthy lives,” said Dave Duffield in a statement. “For too many families, that care is not easy to find or afford. Big Bet for Pets is our way of investing in a stronger, more accessible safety net for these special animals.”