Pet Care Trust’s Pets in the Classroom Grant Program Sees Exceptional Growth

Dec. 28, 2011 - PRLog -- The Pet Care Trust is pleased to announce that its Pets in the Classroom program received over 7,000 requests for grants in the program’s first two years. Established by the Pet Care Trust in 2009, Pets in the Classroom provides grants to Pre-Kindergarten through Sixth grade teachers to purchase or adopt a new pet and required equipment or to support existing classroom pets.

In 2010, its first full year of operation, the program awarded 2,060 grants to teachers. Having received over 7,000 requests in its two years of operation, The Pets in the Classroom program has more than tripled its number of requests in the second year.  With an average classroom size of 30 students, the Trust has brought a pet into the lives of 210,000 students.

The large increase of applicants in the second year is in part because of the addition of the Petco and PetSmart coupon programs to the Pets in the Classroom program. The Pets in the Classroom website (http://www.petsintheclassroom.org) was re-launched on August 2 to include Petco and PetSmart coupon programs, in addition to the standard redemption program for independent retailers. On the first day of the re-launch, Pets in the Classroom received more than 50 applications.  This pace continues as nearly 100 requests came in each day in the first five weeks.

The influx of grant requests will assist the Pet Care Trust in attaining their goal of reaching 1 million children in 30,000 classrooms across North America.  While the 7,000 grants are making a great impact, the organization is still a long way from reaching its goal. The Pet Care Trust is looking for companies or individuals that are willing to sponsor classrooms.  A donation of only $100 will help reach 30 students with a program that is instrumental in teaching students responsible, long-term pet care at an early age. Please visit http://www.petsintheclassroom.org/donations/.

For more information on the Pet Care Trust and the Pets in the Classroom grant program, visit http://www.PetsintheClassroom.org.

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The Pet Care Trust is a non-profit, charitable, public foundation that is instrumental in the sponsorship of programs supporting companion animal welfare and the benefits of owning companion pets as well as the development of educational programs demonstrating the importance of responsible companion animal ownership. Through the Pets in the Classroom program, the Pet Care Trust awards grants to teachers to support pets in a learning environment.