People and Pets Belong Together

Pets bring boundless love, compassion, and cuddles into our lives. They make our homes brighter, improve our well-being, and strengthen community connections. To ensure everyone can enjoy the joy pets bring, we are committed to supporting pet parents by helping provide access to essentials like food, shelter, protection, fairness, opportunities, and of course, plenty of tummy rubs.

from the left: LA Mayor Karen Bass, Dr. Gary K Michelson, and Alya Michelson

Dr. Gary Michelson started Found Animals

in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. By establishing the first free microchip registry for pets, the goal was to allow every lost animal to find their way home. In the 15 years since, Found Animals has continued to identify important problems facing pets and people, and develop real-world, scalable solutions to help them thrive.

Our Programs

Span social enterprises, impact investments, and thought leadership initiatives that champion pets at every point they intersect with our society.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS

Get to know us

Dr. Gary K Michelson
Founder & Co-Chair
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Alya Michelson
Founder & Co-Chair
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Jennifer Pimentel Naitaki
Vice President, Programs and Strategic Initiatives
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Ross Barker
Program Director, Pet-Inclusive Housing Initiative
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Heather Thomas
Manager, Operations
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Helen Larimore
Marketing & Communications Manager
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Jana Brennan
Program Manager, Spay and Neuter Initiative
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Leslie Amaya-Yanez
Public Affairs and Advocacy Manager
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Paige Ellen
Senior Program Manager, Leap Venture Studio
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Becky Cyr
Senior Program Manager, Michelson Prize and Grants
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Victoria Piar
Senior Program Manager, Better Neighbor Project
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Impact statistics you should know

$10
Million
Amount Raised Through our Saving Pets Challenge
1st
Free National Pet Microchip Registry
$11+
Million
In Grants for Surrender Prevention Spay & Neuter and Related Programs
17,000
Pet Adoptions out of our two Adopt & Shop Retail Locations from 2005-2021
37
Scientific Research Projects Funded Through Michelson Prize & Grants
6+
Million
Pets Impacted Since Founding in 2005

OUR EVENTS

Upcoming events

Dive into all the upcoming events MFA has to offer by exploring our complete event calendar here!

Bi-Weekly Pet Food Pantry I Despensa de Alimentos Para Mascotas Quincenal – Korea Town

DATE: April 22, 2025

TIME: 9:30 AM-10:30 AM EST

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Weekly Pet Food Pantry I Despensa Semanal de Alimentos Para Mascotas – Boyle Heights

DATE: April 23, 2025

TIME: 9 AM-10 AM EST

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Tri-Weekly Pet Food Pantry I Despensa de Alimentos Para Mascotas Trisemanal – Paramount

DATE: April 25, 2025

TIME: 8 AM-9 AM EST

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Weekly Pet Food Pantry I Despensa Semanal de Alimentos Para Mascotas – Boyle Heights

DATE: April 30, 2025

TIME: 9 AM-10 AM EST

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Bi-Weekly Pet Food Pantry I Despensa de Alimentos Para Mascotas Quincenal – Korea Town

DATE: May 6, 2025

TIME: 9:30 AM-10:30 AM EST

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Weekly Pet Food Pantry I Despensa Semanal de Alimentos Para Mascotas – Boyle Heights

DATE: May 7, 2025

TIME: 9 AM-10 AM EST

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Weekly Pet Food Pantry I Despensa Semanal de Alimentos Para Mascotas – Boyle Heights

DATE: May 14, 2025

TIME: 9 AM-10 AM EST

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Leap Venture Studio’s Cohort 9 Virtual Demo Day

DATE: May 15, 2025

TIME: 6 AM-7 AM EST

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Tri-Weekly Pet Food Pantry I Despensa de Alimentos Para Mascotas Trisemanal – Paramount

DATE: May 16, 2025

TIME: 8 AM-9 AM EST

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Bi-Weekly Pet Food Pantry I Despensa de Alimentos Para Mascotas Quincenal – Korea Town

DATE: May 20, 2025

TIME: 9:30 AM-10:30 AM EST

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Weekly Pet Food Pantry I Despensa Semanal de Alimentos Para Mascotas – Boyle Heights

DATE: May 21, 2025

TIME: 9 AM-10 AM EST

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Weekly Pet Food Pantry I Despensa Semanal de Alimentos Para Mascotas – Boyle Heights

DATE: May 28, 2025

TIME: 9 AM-10 AM EST

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Bi-Weekly Pet Food Pantry I Despensa de Alimentos Para Mascotas Quincenal – Korea Town

DATE: June 3, 2025

TIME: 9:30 AM-10:30 AM EST

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Weekly Pet Food Pantry I Despensa Semanal de Alimentos Para Mascotas – Boyle Heights

DATE: June 4, 2025

TIME: 9 AM-10 AM EST

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Tri-Weekly Pet Food Pantry I Despensa de Alimentos Para Mascotas Trisemanal – Paramount

DATE: June 6, 2025

TIME: 8 AM-9 AM EST

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Weekly Pet Food Pantry I Despensa Semanal de Alimentos Para Mascotas – Boyle Heights

DATE: June 11, 2025

TIME: 9 AM-10 AM EST

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