Teachers Can Get a FREE Classroom Pet — 2025–2026 Grant Now Open!
The Pets in the Classroom Grant is now open for 2025-2026!
Teachers! Want to add a new friend to your classroom? Pets in the Classroom is once again taking applications for the 2025 – 2026 school year! This amazing grant program provides teachers with financial support to purchase and maintain small animals in their classrooms!
Note that this is not a first come first-served program – ALL teachers who qualify for the Pets in the Classroom program will receive a grant!
The program asks that you carefully consider what type of pet you want for your classroom, as well as district guidelines, and even suggests that you have your students vote on what type of animal they would prefer.
Having an animal in the classroom can enhance the student experience by helping to foster social connections, encourage responsibility, improve self-esteem, and more!
The Pets in the Classroom grant can be applied for every school year.
However, if you have previously received the grant, you will only be eligible for a sustaining grant to help provide for the classroom pet you have already purchased. If you no longer have the original pet, you can also use the sustaining grant to purchase a new pet and supplies.
Teachers, Pre-K through 9th grade, in both public and private schools, are eligible to apply for the grants! Head here to learn more about the program.
Note that virtual schools, homeschools, and daycares currently do not qualify for this program.
The Dogs in the Classroom grant application is open for select regions.
Are you interested in having animal-assisted therapy in your classroom? Apply for a therapy dog on the Pets in the Classroom website.
In addition to adding mental health symptoms like anxiety and depression, research shows that dogs may help us learn! They can foster reading abilities, enhance object recognition and categorization, mitigate stress levels, provide a source of motivation, and more!
Important update: Due to the number of handlers available, this program will be focusing on therapy dogs in select regions (check your location HERE). While not all applicants will be matched, you are encouraged to sign up for the email list to receive updates on next steps if more dogs/ handlers become available.
Pets in the Classroom has received awesome feedback from readers who are also teachers…
I did this last year, and my students loved it. Take a look at the different stores and their coupons before deciding what to do. Petco gave a coupon for a free enclosure and 50% off the pet, whereas Petsmart gave 50% off the enclosure and a free pet.
I walked out of Petco with a $200 cage, supplies, and a pet for just $32 out of pocket!
I did this last year and have a beta fish in my classroom. My students LOVE it! So easy to apply and get your pet from the store.
This program is amazing. They also have a sustaining grant so that you are able to receive up to a certain amount in supplies each year for your pet, received with the grant. I bought supplies, submitted receipts, and received a check back.
I did this 6 years ago and got an aquarium for my classroom. Every year since I have gotten the sustaining grant and it has been enough that I have never paid a penny out of pocket for our class pets. (This is not the case with all animals that you could choose because some are just more expensive to upkeep.) This is seriously the easiest grant I have ever applied for as a teacher, and all of my students have loved it!
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