Animal Care Expo scholarships and awards

Thank you for your interest in attending Animal Care Expo 2026. Scholarships are generously provided by Petco Love and the Trailblazers in Animal Welfare Awards are made possible by Humane World for Animals and Maddie's Fund. Meet past Trailblazer Honorees here. Scholarships and grants will be awarded to individuals working or volunteering in animal welfare.

Recipients can use the scholarship for the purpose of offsetting costs associated with registration, travel and lodging related to attending Animal Care Expo 2026.  

Trailblazers in Animal Welfare Award and Mentors: Requirements and eligibility (provided by Maddie's Fund)

• At Humane World for Animals, we are committed to cultivating diverse emerging leaders in animal welfare.  All applicants must be able to attend Animal Care Expo April 7-10, 2026 in Pittsburgh, PA.
• Apply to be a Trailblazer in Animal Welfare:
  • The Trailblazer in Animal Welfare Award honors individuals, both professionals and volunteers, who are advancing equity and access in historically marginalized, underserved and underrepresented communities.
  • These Trailblazers often serve on the frontlines in their community—they are breaking barriers and forging new paths toward a more equitable and inclusive movement. Their contributions are crucial in addressing the vulnerabilities faced by both the individuals and their animals.
  • Applicants must live in the United States and be working in or volunteer for an animal shelter, rescue organization, nonprofit veterinary clinic or animal protection organization. Preference will be given to first-time attendees.
  • Awardees will have the option to join a cohort of animal protection professionals and advocates from across the U.S. for onsite educational programming and networking opportunities. Awardees will also have access to a post-conference community with additional networking and engagement opportunities.
• Apply to be a Mentor:
  • Past recipients of the Trailblazer in Animal Welfare Award can apply to serve as a Mentor for Animal Care Expo 2026. Only a select number of Mentors will be chosen to participate, and those selected will receive full conference registration, hotel accommodations and flight coverage.
  • As a Mentor, you’ll play a vital role in welcoming and guiding new Trailblazer awardees, helping them make the most of their Expo experience. Mentors serve as a reliable point of contact throughout the week—offering encouragement, answering questions, and connecting Trailblazers to people and opportunities at the conference. Mentorship includes participating in key touchpoints such as mentor luncheons, networking discussions and the Trailblazer award reception. Your prior experience as both a Trailblazer and Expo attendee ensures you’ll be able to provide valuable insights and support.
• If you are a confirmed speaker for Animal Care Expo 2026 and are receiving any grant/stipend support, Trailblazers in Animal Welfare Award and Mentor grant funding will replace the speaker grant/funding if application is approved.
• Recipients will stay at one of the official Humane World for Animals headquarters' hotels, as assigned and arranged by Humane World for Animals staff.
• You should not register for the conference until you are notified if you received a grant; notifications will be sent prior to the advance registration deadline of February 6, 2026.
• No funds will be dispersed to the attendee.  Instead, grant recipients will follow Humane World for Animals' instructions for registering and booking their hotel and travel through designated channels, allowing Humane World for Animals to apply these funds directly to their expenses.
• Grants are non-transferable without written permission from Humane World for Animals.
• The application must be completed in one sitting, as responses cannot be saved and returned to later.

Scholarships: Requirements and eligibility (provided by Petco Love)

• Applicants must be able to attend Animal Care Expo April 7-10, 2026 in Pittsburgh, PA.
• Applicants must live in the United States and be working in animal control organizations, nonprofits or municipal agencies with animal control contracts in under-resourced areas.
• If you are a confirmed speaker for Animal Care Expo 2026 and are receiving any grant/stipend support, scholarship funding will replace the speaker grant/funding if scholarships is approved.
• Scholarship recipients will stay at one of the official Humane World for Animals headquarters' hotels, as assigned and arranged by Humane World for Animals staff.
• You should not register for the conference until you are notified if you received a scholarship; notifications will be sent prior to the advance registration deadline of February 6, 2026.
• No funds will be disbursed to the attendee.  Instead, scholarship recipients will follow Humane World for Animals' instructions for registering and booking their hotel and travel through designated  channels, allowing Humane World for Animals to apply these funds directly to these expenses.
• Scholarships are non-transferable without written permission from Humane World for Animals.
• Scholarship applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Important dates