Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Teachers Invited to Apply for Funding Toward Classroom Pets

  • 07/21/15

The Pet Care Trust's Pets in the Classroom grant program will begin accepting applications for the 2015-2016 school year beginning August 1st.  Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade teachers in both private and public schools who desire to introduce a pet into the classroom or already have a pet in the classroom are welcome to apply.

According to several different studies as well as numerous teachers’ experiences, classroom pets provide a variety of benefits to students as they:  aid in improving school attendance, encourage nurturing, build self esteem, promote empathy, teach responsibility, stimulate learning, enrich the classroom experience, and become friends. And with over 56,600 grants having been issued since the program’s inception, nearly 2 million children have already experienced these benefits thanks to the Pets in the Classroom grant program.

The program was established by the Pet Care Trust with the knowledge that, while they are a valuable teaching tool, many teachers have very limited resources for the support of classroom animals. Through the grant program, teachers have the option to obtain a pet through one of the program’s participating stores - Petco, Petsmart, Pet Supermarket, Pet Supplies Plus, Petland, and Petland Discounts – or to purchase their pet through a local pet store through a rebate grant.  Past grant recipients are not eligible to receive funding for a new classroom pet, but are welcoming to apply for the sustaining grant, which provides up to $50 to maintain an existing classroom pet. With 8 different types of grants, each teacher has the opportunity to choose which grant is right for him or her through a direct, no-hassle grant application on the Pets in the Classroom website (www.PetsintheClassroom.org).

With a goal of introducing 5 million children in 100,000 classrooms to pets and the benefits they provide, the Pet Care Trust hopes to help teachers impact future generations through its grant program. The Pets in the Classroom grant program will begin accepting applications for the 2015-2016 school year beginning August 1st.

For more information, visit www.PetsintheClassroom.org.

Featured

  • Carnegie Mellon University Receives $3B Gift to Launch New Campus

    Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Penn., recently announced that it has received $3 billion—the largest individual gift in higher education history—from Citadel CEO and founder Ken Griffin, according to a news release.

  • Longwood University Hits Construction Milestone on New Music Education Facility

    Longwood University in Farmville, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of its new music education and performance facility, according to a news release. The university partnered with development and construction firm Skanska on the 63,800-square-foot facility, which began construction in August 2025 and has an estimated completion date of fall 2028.

  • UPenn Announces Completion of New Veterinary Education Facility

    The University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Penn., recently finished construction on an 11,800-square-foot veterinary education building, according to a news release. The Gail P. Riepe Center for Advanced Veterinary Education is the first dedicated classroom facility at the New Bolton Center, a large-animal hospital and campus about 35 miles west of the campus proper.