NEWS RELEASE - For Immediate Release
PAWMETTO LIFELINE RECEIVES $150,000 GRANT FROM PETSMART CHARITIES TO EXPAND ACCESS TO VETERINARY CARE
Funding Will Help Lexington & Richland County Pet Families Access the Affordable Veterinary Care They Need
Columbia, SC (May 5, 2026) — Pawmetto Lifeline has received a $150,000 grant from PetSmart Charities to help more local pet families access affordable veterinary care.
A recent PetSmart Charities-Gallup State of Pet Care Study revealed 52 percent of pet parents skipped or declined veterinary care, largely due to financial concerns. This funding will support the expansion of Pawmetto Lifeline’s veterinary clinic, allowing the organization to serve more pets, reduce barriers to care, and help keep families together by ensuring access to affordable veterinary services. Through this grant, Pawmetto Lifeline expects to increase the number of pets served, reduce wait times for care, and improve access to affordable veterinary services for families across our community.
“This grant will help us take a significant step forward in expanding access to veterinary care, allowing us to serve more pets, support more families, and strengthen the human-animal bond across our community,” said Denise Wilkinson, CEO of Pawmetto Lifeline. “Affordable veterinary care is critical to keeping pets with the families who love them. Too often, financial barriers force people to make heartbreaking decisions. This funding allows us to expand access to care, ensuring more pets receive the treatment they need while helping families stay together.”
50 million pets across the U.S. lack access to the veterinary care they need. In 2023, PetSmart Charities responded to that reality with a commitment of more than $100 million over five years to dismantle the financial, geographical and logistical barriers standing between pets and the care they deserve. Through its Accelerator grant program, PetSmart Charities supports nonprofit and low-cost veterinary providers working to expand services and reach more families in need.
“Pets are family, and access to veterinary care is critical in ensuring they stay healthy and remain in their loving homes,” said Aimee Gilbreath, president of PetSmart Charities. “When care is declined or skipped due to finances, small medical issues can become serious and far more expensive. We’re proud to partner with Pawmetto Lifeline to help create practical, sustainable goals that meet the needs of their community.”
One of those pets is Beast, a beloved family dog who was found after being hit by a car, suffering from severe injuries to multiple legs and life-threatening sepsis. His family was devastated—and faced with the reality that they could not afford the emergency care he urgently needed.
Through Pawmetto Lifeline’s veterinary services, Beast received the critical treatment that saved his life, including affordable medications and an amputation surgery to address his injuries. With the support of our team, Beast is back home with his family, healed and full of life. His story is a powerful reminder that access to affordable veterinary care can mean the difference between heartbreak and hope, keeping pets where they belong—with the people who love them most.
To learn more about Pawmetto Lifeline’s veterinary services or find out how to support this lifesaving work, visit pawmettolifeline.org.
About Pawmetto Lifeline
Pawmetto Lifeline is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal rescue organization dedicated to expanding access to veterinary care across South Carolina’s Midlands. Through a full-service veterinary clinic, high-volume, high-quality spay/neuter program, and mobile vaccine clinic, it provides affordable preventative, medical, and surgical services to keep pets healthy and in their homes. By reducing barriers to care, Pawmetto Lifeline helps prevent unnecessary owner surrender and strengthen the human-animal bond.
About PetSmart Charities
PetSmart Charities is committed to making the world a better place for pets and all who love them. Through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart® stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities has helped more than 11 million pets find loving homes. PetSmart Charities also provides grant funding to support organizations that advocate and care for the well-being of all pets and their families. Its efforts connect pets with loving homes, improve access to affordable veterinary care, and support families in times of crises with access to food, shelter, and disaster response. Each year, millions of generous supporters help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities directly at PetSmartCharities.org, while shopping at PetSmart.com, and by using the PIN pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart® stores. PetSmart Charities efficiently uses more than 90 cents of every dollar donated to fulfill its mission, granting more than $600 million since its inception in 1994. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has received a Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator each year consecutively since 2003 — placing it among the top one percent of rated charities.
To learn more or make a donation, visit PetSmartCharities.org.
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Media Contact
Maria Wooten
Marketing & Communications Manager
Pawmetto Lifeline
mwooten@pawmettolifeline.org
(803) 465-9157