Impact in Los Angeles

Michelson Found Animals was founded in 2005 with a mission of saving pets and enriching lives. With more than $100 million committed to animal welfare, MFA seeks to reduce shelter euthanasia in Los Angeles and across the country. It operates a range of initiatives including grants and partnerships that put resources in the hands of communities in need, research that promotes pet-friendly housing policies, and more. In the 16 years since its launch, MFA has helped more than 6 million pets and their families.

Michelson Found Animals’ lifesaving grants focus on decreasing shelter intake and increasing life outcomes. We partner with organizations to fund and build programs that serve underfunded communities and pets at the highest risk.

Celebrating 12 years of SPAY4LA

SPAY4LA’s mission is to provide low-cost and free spay/neuter surgeries, along with basic wellness services, to underserved communities of Los Angeles as a means to decrease shelter intake and euthanasia.  SPAY4LA targets low-income/high shelter intake areas that lack adequate affordable services that would not be able to access these services otherwise.

To date, SPAY4LA has spayed/neutered over 100,000 pets and is on the road helping pet parents 220 days a year.

The Better Neighbor Project

The Better Neighbor Project (BNP), was launched in 2020 to serve the pet needs of underserved communities. Built on the belief that everyone, regardless of socioeconomic status, deserves the love and companionship of a pet, MFA partners with human service agencies to distribute pet food and essential supplies through established food pantries and pop-up pet wellness events where residents can receive free pet food, microchips, vaccinations, grooming, hygiene, and veterinary care for their companion animals. 

BNP has served more than 50,000 pets and their families since its launch.

The Michelson Insitute for Pet Professions

Michelson Institute for Pet Professions (MIPP) is a workforce development program providing equal access to pet care careers to individuals who have a passion for working with animals but have not had an accessible path or financial opportunity to pursue them. The program offers comprehensive training programs and job placement resources in animal welfare trades at no cost to those not commonly prioritized or reached by existing pet care training programs. 

By the end of 2022, 100 students were enrolled, 70 graduated with a certification, and 30 more are still in progress toward this goal.

The Found Animals Registry

In 2021, having successfully fostered a microchip revolution in the pet care industry, MFA sold its microchip registry operations to Pethealth, a leading provider of pet insurance, lost pet recovery, and shelter management software. 

Over 300,000 pets were reunited with their owners prior to the Pethealth transition.

Adopt & Shop

For over 10 years The Michelson Found Animals Adopt & Shop locations accomplished many milestones from the facilitation of more than 17,000 pet adoptions to 460,000+ foster and volunteer hours contributed, not to mention the countless pets’ lives that were saved and the lives forever changed. Adopt & Shop closed its doors in 2021.

Want to make an impact in Los Angeles? Here are the many ways you can join us in our efforts to keep more pets and people together.