2025-26 Companion Animal Grants
Congratulations to the successful recipients of the 2025-26 Companion Animal Grants. $250,000 in funding has been awarded to 8 local organisations to support pet rescue and rehoming efforts across Canberra.
The groups to receive funding include:
- ACT Pet Crisis Support
- ACT Rescue and Foster
- Canberra Pet Rescue
- Canberra Street Cat Alliance
- Completely Rescued
- Labrador Rescue
- Pets in the Park
- RSPCA ACT.
Funding will be used for a variety of activities that improve animal welfare outcomes and benefit the Canberra community including:
- volunteer-run vet clinics to help low-income pet owners care for their pets
- access to free pet medication for Canberra pet owners experiencing homelessness
- mentoring new dog foster carers to support them in their role to rehome unwanted dogs
- obedience training for rescue dogs to increase the chances of rehoming them
- upgrading animal and vet care facilities
- providing food, cat litter, vet care and medication for rescue animals
- desexing animals to prevent unwanted litters and reduce the flow of animals requiring rescue.
About the program
The program aims to support the work of existing community organisations within the Canberra community. The funds will help these groups strengthen their capacity to undertake ACT Government-endorsed projects and initiatives. This grant initiative will only look at project proposals that promote and improve animal welfare outcomes.
Projects must have strong links to the current Animal Welfare Act 1992 and provide direct benefits to the ACT community. The program offers grants for a range of activities.
The strategic priority areas that projects were assessed against in 2025-26 are:
- The community’s concern in relation to the management of cats in the ACT.
- The resources needed to achieve the objectives in the Cat Management Legislation and the ACT Cat Plan 2021-2031.
- Cost of living pressures impacting on responsible pet ownership, and the pressure from increasing number of surrenders of both dogs and cats.
- The resulting pressures on Domestic Animal Services and the RSPCA.
Funding
Typically, the grants are intended for small to medium sized projects up to $25,000.
Funding can be used for a wide variety of things that will benefit the ACT community. Examples include:
- supporting desexing in the community
- purchasing equipment such as bedding, crates, leads, etc for the service
- upgrading or expanding rehoming and welfare services for companion animals
- veterinary treatments, including desexing, microchipping, vaccinations and any other medical treatments
- the provision of services to deliver training or rehabilitation for a dog or cat
- supporting the reasonable repair, maintenance and capital works upgrade and/or build new animal care facilities
- supporting the reasonable operating expenses directly associated with the provision of animal care and rehoming services (such as purchase of food, medication, bedding) but excluding workforce payments such as salaries and wages.
You are eligible for funding if you don't live in the ACT or work for an ACT-based organisation. However, you must be based in Australia and the project must have strong links to animal welfare in the Territory and provide direct benefits to the ACT community.
Note: Funding will not be awarded for the purpose of providing working capital to support business as usual for organisations (including meeting the costs of salaries of employees). However, funds may be granted for engagement of a staff member or contracting of a person undertaking a specific and clearly defined project.
