ALEXANDRIA, VA – The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria announced on Wednesday that it had been awarded the largest grant in the organization's history to address barriers to accessing veterinary care in some of the city's historically marginalized areas.
According to the AWLA, rising costs, combined with geographical, cultural and other barriers have left some communities outside the veterinary care system. PetSmart's incubator grant system supports targeted programs to help extend access to those communities.
The $600,000 grant is the second incubator grant the AWLA has received from PetSmart Charities, the organization noted in a release. This grant will support three years of work to provide access to veterinary care and animal care services in the neighborhoods near the Mark Center off North Beauregard Street.
It follows a $100,000 grant in July 2025 that supported the AWLA in building community relationships and understanding local needs.
According to the AWLA, the year of research the first grant funded helped them understand the needs of excluded communities.
"From this work, we have learned that pet food and supplies, vaccines, behavioral training, grooming, and pet-inclusive housing are the greatest needs," the AWLA said. Their full compilation of community-reported needs can be seen here.
The next grant will help them address these gaps in animal welfare services.
“We’re building this program to support entire pet families through accessible, community-focused resources,” said Joanna Fortin, AWLA’s director of community programs, in the release. “In addition to wellness events, we’ll offer services such as rabies and distemper vaccines, microchips, flea and tick prevention, nail trims, and other care. We’re also developing a partnership with Pawsh Dog Wash to provide grooming training classes and exploring new behavior support opportunities inspired by the drop-in library sessions led by our Animal Behavior and Training team. Alongside regular pet food and supply distributions at locations throughout the community, we plan to offer educational seminars on topics like pet nutrition and continue advocating for more pet-inclusive housing. Our goal is to help keep pets healthy, supported, and together with the families who care for them.”
Earlier in 2026, US News and World Report reported on a survey on the average cost of a vet visit. It found that the average cost of a routine/wellness vet visit ranges from $70 to $174 for dogs and from $53 to $124 for cats. Costs can rise steeply from there, with blood tests running from $30 to $200 and more, and care for injuries and illnesses rising to thousands of dollars.
According to a recent survey by the Motley Fool, only 45 percent of Americans can pay for an extra $400 expense with funds from their checking account.
In 2023, PetSmart Charities committed $100 million over the next five years toward improving access to veterinary care.
Learn more about the services provided by the AWLA for pets and their families by clicking here.
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