About Grey Muzzle Grants

The Grey Muzzle Organization provides grant funding to animal welfare groups and charitable organizations meant to relieve the financial burden limiting access to essential care for at-risk senior dogs. 

During our 2024–2025 grant cycle, together with our grantees:

• 5,576 senior dogs received essential care

• 4,533 medical services were provided

• 1,878 dental care procedures were performed

• 2,518 surrenders were prevented

Each year, Grey Muzzle evolves its funding priorities based on data and feedback from our grantees and the communities they serve regarding the changing needs of senior dogs.

Our biggest takeaway from this grant cycle was the need for deeper insight into program design and outcomes—specifically, which interventions most effectively prevent surrenders and expedite home placements by eliminating adoption barriers for senior dogs.

Through deeper data collection, clearer outcome tracking, and closer partnership with grantees, this cycle focuses on identifying:

• Interventions that most effectively move senior dogs from shelter into adoptive, foster or hospice homes

• Support services that successfully prevent unnecessary surrender and keeping senior dogs safe and healthy in their current homes

• Proven, replicable programs that can be shared with and used by animal welfare groups nationwide

By centering both impact and learning, these grants ensure donor dollars drive measurable, lasting change while strengthening senior dog welfare across the USA.

This grant cycle includes two complementary programs that address the most critical points where senior dogs are at risk:

• The Pathways Home Grant supports shelters and rescues in prioritizing essential care for senior dogs already in their custody, with the goal of accelerating safe, appropriate placements through adoption, foster, or hospice.

This program focuses on removing the most common barriers that delay placement, including untreated medical needs, dental disease, incomplete adoption-readiness information, and adopter uncertainty. A core component of this grant is standardized data collection to identify which services create the greatest impact.

• The Staying Home Grant is designed to prevent unnecessary shelter intake by addressing the challenges that cause senior dog guardians to consider surrender.

This program funds direct support services that stabilize senior dogs in their homes while collecting meaningful data to better understand surrender risk factors, intervention costs, and the effectiveness of diversion strategies.

Together, these programs allow Grey Muzzle and our grantee partners to define best practices and identify replicable solutions that keep more senior dogs safe, supported, and either moved into—or able to remain in—loving homes.

Eligibility & Reporting Requirements

Data collection is a core requirement of the 2026–2027 grant cycle. To be eligible, organizations must:

• Be a U.S.A. based organization with a current 501(c)(3) tax designation. (Government and municipal shelters with an affiliated “Friends of [Shelter]” 501(c)(3) are also eligible)

• Use grant funding exclusively to serve senior dogs age 7 and older

• Demonstrate the capacity to track and report required data specific to senior dogs

• Agree to standardized reporting requirements and outcome measurements as defined by Grey Muzzle

• Be willing and able to complete quarterly updates, which include:

-Number of senior dogs helped during the quarter

-A senior dog story with photo and short-form video

-Confirmation of any material program or budget changes

-Submission of marketing materials used to promote the program

-Optional feedback

• Be willing and able to complete a comprehensive final report that includes:

-Comprehensive quantitative and qualitative outcomes

-Budget reconciliation and final spending

-Analysis and insights on what worked, what didn’t, and why

-Program successes, challenges, adjustments and best practices that can be replicated

How to Apply

Because of the shift in our grantmaking approach this year, we recognize that these grant programs may not be the right fit for every organization. We strongly encourage prospective applicants to review all available materials carefully before deciding to apply.

We will not be hosting a prospective grantee webinar for this grant cycle. Additional information—including detailed instructions on how to apply and a preview of the 2026–2027 grant application questions—will be available by February 10.

As The Grey Muzzle Organization continues to grow and refine its funding priorities, we anticipate offering additional grant opportunities in the future and look forward to connecting with organizations whose work may be better aligned with those programs when they are available.

For questions, please contact our Director of Grants & Engagement at [email protected].