October 21, 2025 — Louisville, KY – Pets4Life Louisville has been awarded a $300,000 grant from PetSmart Charities® to address barriers in accessing veterinary care in the Park Hill and California neighborhoods within Louisville’s 40210 zip code.
Rising costs combined with geographical, cultural and other barriers have left many families shut out of the veterinary care system altogether. The Incubator grant program supports innovative and culturally relevant veterinary programs targeted toward historically excluded communities across the U.S.
While 70% of American households include pets, access to basic veterinary services has not kept pace. Pets are universally considered important family members and keeping them together requires resources that are often missing. This is particularly felt in many underserved communities where not only cost, but geography and systemic inequities have left veterinary care beyond reach. Early in 2023, PetSmart Charities, the top funder of animal welfare in the country, committed $100 million over the next five years toward improving access to veterinary care. The Incubator grants focus on historically excluded communities, many of which lack access to community support, including veterinary services. Pets4Life Louisville, one of only eleven 2024 Incubator grantees, spent its first year building trust and partnerships within 40210. Now, in phase two, the organization is launching community-designed veterinary solutions in collaboration with pet families, partners, and local changemakers.
“For families in West Louisville, pets provide comfort, love, and stability—yet too often, even basic veterinary care is out of reach,” said Karen Mujica, Executive Director of Pets4Life Louisville. “With support from PetSmart Charities, we’re introducing a Pet Mutual Aid model that brings neighbors, nonprofits, and local partners together. The goal is simple but powerful: no family should be forced to surrender a beloved pet because of food insecurity, lack of supplies, or preventable health issues. It means fewer emergencies, healthier pets, and stronger communities where no one, and no pet, is left behind.”
“Most people today consider pets to be family, yet we now know more than half of pet parents have skipped or declined veterinary care, with many more who haven’t been able to access it at all,” said Kate Atema, director of community grants & initiatives at PetSmart Charities. “This issue affects families in nearly every community across the U.S. — but becomes even more challenging for families living in places where other resources are also difficult to access. We’re proud to support partners that work hard to overcome obstacles to veterinary care and collaborate with local communities to co-create unique solutions for their pets.”
So far this year, Pets4Life Louisville has supported more than 1,600 pets in the 40210 community with food, supplies, and other essentials, while also delivering veterinary care to over 230 pets through outreach and pop-up clinics. Upcoming opportunities for local pet families include a Pet Resource Day on Saturday, October 25, from 2:00–3:00 p.m. and a Vaccine Clinic on Sunday, October 26, from 1:00–3:00 p.m., at the California Community Center, 1600 St. Catherine Street.
Through this work, hundreds of families in West Louisville have been able to keep their pets healthy, safe, and at home. Each success story—whether it’s a pet receiving vaccines, a family accessing food and supplies, or a beloved animal avoiding surrender—shows the real difference this grant is making. Pets4Life invites the community to join this grassroots movement to keep pets and families together. Learn how you can help at pets4lifelouisville.org.
