about the foundation

Mission Statement

The Freshpet® Foundation is dedicated to helping our closest companions lead long, healthy and disease-free lives. Our mission is to support canine nutritional research in the areas of prevention, care and treatment of diseases in dogs.

Our Advisory Board awards grants to veterinary colleges and research institutions to study the role nutrition plays in the prevention, care and treatment of disease, including canine cancer.

The Freshpet® Foundation is a 501(c) (3) non-profit charitable organization. None of its directors or volunteers receives compensation for their contributions.

And, please know that the Freshpet® Foundation strives to make sure every penny we raise goes towards helping prevent diseases in dogs.

our goals

The Freshpet® Foundation believes that good nutrition leads to a healthier life for our companion animals and that more research is needed in the role nutrition plays in the prevention and treatment of disease. We are committed to improving the knowledge base around cancer and other diseases in dogs by engaging in the following:

Raise awareness of canine diseases, specifically cancer, among pet parents through education. Information about pet cancer and the Foundation will be distributed via our website, on our packaging, during promotional events, and included in our press materials.
Raise funds for comparison studies and clinical trials through events such as Bark for the Cure and other promotional events nationwide.
Further canine cancer prevention and treatment through actionable research. Results will be published in veterinary journals as well as on our website.

Our story

The Freshpet® Foundation was created by a group of people who are not only dog lovers, but also experts in pet nutrition. Many of these individuals have been touched in some way by disease or illness in family members—both human and canine - resulting in life-altering transformations for most. These transformations nurtured a clear and purposeful mission: preventing canine disease. As they began seeking out ways in which to help, they found themselves collaborating with a veterinary oncologist who educated them on the pervasiveness of canine cancer, which is the leading cause of death in dogs over the age of two.

Realizing the potential for improving many lives by better understanding the causes of canine cancer and its treatment, they committed themselves to starting a foundation. The Freshpet® Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit charitable organization, was formed shortly thereafter and is guided by the following principles:

Focus on improving dog's lives by preventing and curing disease
No politics - only progress
Willing to break paradigms and apply creativity to issues
Carry an entrepreneurial spirit in solving problems

We later learned that research findings are often reciprocal from human to canine and vice versa – so the efforts to help save canine companions may also someday help people afflicted with cancer. This made us feel even better about the work we have dedicated ourselves to.