# Which Companies Donate to Animal Shelters and Rescue Fundraisers? > A few companies in our directory name animals or pets as a giving focus: Smucker's, Topgolf, Long Island Aquarium and the Indianapolis Zoo. Here is what each asks for, and which to skip. Source: https://ultimatedonations.org/companies-that-donate-to-animal-shelters Last updated: 2026-10-16 Publisher: Ultimate Donations Companies that name animals or pets as a giving focus include Smucker's, Topgolf, the Long Island Aquarium and the Indianapolis Zoo — four programs in our directory whose own published guidelines put animal causes inside what they support. The list is short, so an animal shelter or rescue group gets the most from it by matching each request to the program's rules, and then widening to general-purpose donors for the rest of the raffle table. This guide is part of our [fundraiser donation answers](https://ultimatedonations.org/fundraiser-donation-answers) library. Every company below links to its page in our donor directory, which records what the program has historically offered and how far ahead it asks you to apply. Programs change, so confirm on each page before you send anything. ## Companies whose guidelines include animals | Company | Where animals fit | What it has given | Notice | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Smucker's](https://ultimatedonations.org/donor/smuckers-donation) | "Family pets" is one of its listed focus areas | In-kind product | 60 days | [Food](https://ultimatedonations.org/categories/food) | | [Topgolf](https://ultimatedonations.org/donor/topgolf-donation) | "Animals" is one of six qualifying focus areas | Game play certificates, coupons, golf instruction | 30 to 90 days | [Golf](https://ultimatedonations.org/categories/golf) | | [Long Island Aquarium](https://ultimatedonations.org/donor/long-island-aquarium-donations) | Invites regional groups focused on schools or animals | Pairs of aquarium admissions | 2 weeks | [Entertainment](https://ultimatedonations.org/categories/entertainment) | | [Indianapolis Zoo](https://ultimatedonations.org/donor/indianapolis-zoo-donation) | Priority for groups supporting animal conservation and Indiana families | Zoo admissions | 3 months | [Entertainment](https://ultimatedonations.org/categories/entertainment) | ### Smucker's Smucker's gives in-kind product donations to local organizations, and its record names family pets alongside education, hunger relief and wellness as focus areas. The brands listed on its page include Milk Bone, which makes it an unusually direct fit for a shelter's raffle basket. The catch is location: your organization must be near a Smucker's office or manufacturing plant, it must hold 501(c)(3) status, and the online form needs to arrive at least 60 days before the event. ### Topgolf Topgolf takes requests through one online form, filed between 30 and 90 days before your event, and the organization's focus must be one of education, military, golf, health and wellness, animals, or disaster relief. Your event or organization also has to be within 40 miles of a Topgolf location, and 501(c)(3) status is required. Game play certificates and coupons work well as mid-value raffle prizes or goody-bag extras at an adoption event. ### Long Island Aquarium The Long Island Aquarium invites regional charitable organizations focused on schools or animals to request pairs of admissions. Requests go on your organization's letterhead by mail or fax — not online — at least two weeks before the event. If your rescue is in the aquarium's region, this is one of the shortest lead times you will find. ### Indianapolis Zoo The Indianapolis Zoo's Community Donation Program serves Indiana nonprofits and gives priority to groups that support Indiana families and animal conservation. Apply through its online form with a one-page letter on letterhead at least three months ahead. Read its exclusions first: it does not give for door prizes, appreciation awards, post-prom gifts or monetary requests, and each organization can receive one donation per calendar year — so plan the request around a raffle or auction rather than a door-prize drawing. ## Check the exclusions before you ask Some programs say outright that animal causes are outside their remit, and a request to one of them costs you a slot in your schedule for nothing. [Dyson](https://ultimatedonations.org/donor/dyson-product-donation), for example, lists animal welfare among the causes it will not fund; its program is limited to engineering education and medical and scientific research. The pet retailer you might expect to top this list is not on it. Our directory found no company-wide donation program for [Petco](https://ultimatedonations.org/donor/petco-donation) at its last check. That is not a refusal — national chains often leave small community donations to individual locations — so asking your local store manager in person is a different route from a corporate request, and the one worth trying. ## Eligibility for shelters and rescues Three of the four programs above state that they require 501(c)(3) status. Many shelters hold it; many small foster-based rescues do not. If yours does not, decide which entity is asking before you send anything — a fiscal sponsor or a partner nonprofit — and keep it consistent across every form. Our guide to [getting product donations without a 501(c)(3)](https://ultimatedonations.org/donations-without-501c3) walks through the options. This is informational, not legal advice. ## Filling the rest of the table Four animal-focused programs will not fill a whole raffle or silent auction. The rest of your list should come from companies whose programs are open to most causes, such as the ones in our roundup of [companies that donate products to fundraisers](https://ultimatedonations.org/companies-that-donate-to-fundraisers) and our [raffle basket ideas by theme](https://ultimatedonations.org/raffle-basket-ideas). Whichever you pick, put your event date first in the request and count backwards from it — our guide on [how far in advance to request donations](https://ultimatedonations.org/when-to-send-donation-requests) covers timing in detail. ## Frequently asked questions ### Does Petco donate to animal shelters? Our directory found no company-wide Petco donation program at its last check. Ask your local store manager directly — see the [Petco page](https://ultimatedonations.org/donor/petco-donation) for details. ### Which food company lists pets as a donation focus? Smucker's lists family pets among its focus areas for in-kind donations, for 501(c)(3) groups near a Smucker's office or plant, with 60 days' notice. See [Smucker's](https://ultimatedonations.org/donor/smuckers-donation). ### Can a rescue without 501(c)(3) status get donations? Some programs require it and some do not. See [donations without a 501(c)(3)](https://ultimatedonations.org/donations-without-501c3) for the options.