Arizona Animal Shelters Announce Major Donation from The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation to Expand Lifesaving Community Programs
Phoenix, Ariz. (Dec. 16, 2025) - A coalition of Arizona animal shelters is celebrating a significant donation from The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation to advance animal welfare and community well-being. The funds will strengthen critical programs that keep pets healthy, safe, and with the families who love them.
The surprise $1.3 million donation will support multiple shelters across the state, including two organizations whose community-based services have become essential lifelines for pet owners facing hardship: the Arizona Animal Welfare League (AAWL) will receive $500,000, and Lost Our Home Pet Rescue (LOH) will receive $250,000.
“Pets are family. We all know the comfort a pet can bring during difficult times,” said Bob Parsons, Co-Founder of The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. “These organizations make sure families don’t have to choose between stability and the dogs and cats who mean so much to them.”
AAWL will use the funding to expand its low-cost, community-based vet care services in East Maryvale, which is considered a veterinary desert. For pet families in Maryvale, accessible and affordable vet care is nearly impossible to find, and families are often just one unexpected veterinary bill away from heartbreak. To respond to these needs, AAWL launched mobile vaccine clinics in schools and community centers and transitioned to a preventative wellness model at their on-site community vet clinic to be able to keep pet families together.
Over the last three years, AAWL has prioritized supporting Latino pet families in East Maryvale and Central City Phoenix, guided by a survey of more than 700 primarily Spanish-speaking pet owners who said they struggled to find veterinary care sensitive to their language and culture.
This year alone, AAWL provided nearly 4,000 pets from those underserved communities with much needed vaccines and wellness care. This transformative donation will allow AAWL to reach even more pet families by increasing the number of mobile wellness/preventative clinics and other vital services in Maryvale, improving health outcomes for pets, and helping prevent more animals from entering the shelter system
"Every family deserves the joy a pet brings, regardless of their financial circumstances,” said Alessandra Navidad, president and CEO of the Arizona Animal Welfare League. “The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation's investment into our community protects the human-animal bond and families won’t have to choose between meeting their basic needs and keeping their beloved pets.”
Lost Our Home (LOH) will use the funding for its crisis-response programs. The love of a pet can keep someone from going to a shelter, hospital or other if pets are not allowed, forcing them to surrender or place their pet in danger. Over 45 percent of domestic violence survivors delay escaping for this reason. LOH’s Temporary Care Program (TCP) removes that barrier by providing up to 4 months of safe shelter and medical care for pets, at no cost, giving people a path to safety and stability while protecting the pets they love.
LOH’s Pet Food Bank is a lifeline for families struggling to afford the basics. Many people skip meals, stretch medications, or sacrifice their own needs so their pets won’t go hungry. Some feel the only option is to surrender their beloved pet. LOH’s Pet Food Bank prevents these heartbreaking outcomes and helps families stay together.
LOH is a no-kill shelter which has provided 155,000 safe days through the TCP, and—with its 24/7 First Responder Program—reunited 2,200 pets with their families. LOH also provided 1.27 million Food Bank meals and adopted 12,300 homeless pets into families.
“Our programs keep families together during their most difficult moments,” said Jodi Polanski, founder of LOH. “We are incredibly grateful for this generous gift, which comes at a critical time. Rising needs for our services along with increasing costs of supplies and care keep outpacing our resources. Together, The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation, along with much needed community support, will help us continue serving the families and pets that depend on us, strengthening families, pets, and the community.”
The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation donation comes at a crucial time as shelters statewide face increased surrender requests and economic pressures affecting pet-owning households. By investing in prevention-focused programs, The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation is helping reduce shelter overcrowding and strengthening the human-animal bond across Arizona communities.
“Some of the most meaningful work in our community happens quietly,” said Renee Parsons, Co-Founder of The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. “These small organizations don’t just save pets, they support the people who love them.”
