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.

2026–2027 National Senior Dog Grants Initiative

 

The 2026–2027 Senior Dog Grant Cycle represents a shift in how The Grey Muzzle Organization invests in senior dog well-being.

Instead of focusing on funding isolated, individual programs, this cycle is intentionally designed to build a national evidence base for what truly improves outcomes for senior dogs—both in shelters and in homes.

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.

Senior Dog Grant Programs

This year, we are investing in organizations that can implement or expand programs that measurably improve outcomes for senior dogs while generating meaningful data to inform future grantmaking and best practices in animal welfare.

Because of this refined focus, these grant programs may not be the right fit for every organization. As we continues to grow and evolve our funding priorities, we anticipate offering additional grant opportunities in the future and look forward to connecting with organizations whose work may be better aligned at that time.

This year's 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 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 four quarterly updates

  • Be willing and able to complete a comprehensive final report 

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Grant Timeline

 

Applications open: February 16, 2026 at 8:00am EST

Applications close: March 15, 2026 at 11:59pm EST

Review and evaluation: March 17 – April 30, 2026

Award notifications: Between May 1 – May 15, 2026

Grant period: July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027

Please note that we are unable to make any exceptions for applications submitted after the deadline. If you have any other questions, please reach out to Dana Tharp, Director of Grants & Engagement at [email protected].

How to Apply

Before beginning an application, we strongly encourage you to:

🔹 Carefully read the Grant Program Information pages to fully understand each program's purpose, expected impact, and reporting requirements

🔹 Review all application questions in advance to ensure you are prepared to provide detailed program descriptions and credible data related to senior-dog outcomes

We want to support you in putting your strongest application forward — whether you are a first-time applicant or a returning grantee. Taking these steps will help you determine if your organization is well aligned with this year’s funding priorities and ready to submit a compelling, complete case for support.

Read our GRANTS APPLICATION PROCESS.