Few automakers have tied their identity to a single animal as tightly as Subaru has to the dog in the back seat. On Thursday, the company put a new number on that relationship: through the 2026 Subaru Loves Pets initiative, Subaru of America and its participating retailers will provide more than $3.2 million in direct financial assistance to local animal shelters nationwide, with the money distributed as grants by the ASPCA.
The announcement, timed to the start of October, arrives with a companion piece of research that explains why a car company spends so much energy on adoption. A survey of 2,000 pet owners, conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Subaru, found that 73 percent would rather take a road trip than fly if it means bringing their pet along. Nearly half, 45 percent, said they have turned down travel opportunities that could not accommodate their animal.
A Large Donor, and a Large Problem
Subaru describes itself as the largest corporate donor to the ASPCA, and the scale of the need is the backdrop for the campaign. According to the ASPCA, approximately 5.8 million dogs and cats entered shelters and rescues in the United States in 2025. The grants are meant to cover the practical costs of getting animals ready to leave: preparing them for adoption, veterinary expenses, and similar needs. The ASPCA administers the funding on behalf of each retailer ahead of October, so that shelters can put the money to work throughout the month.
By the end of October, Subaru says, more than $75 million will have been donated to local and national animal welfare organizations since Subaru Loves Pets began. Alan Bethke, the company’s senior vice president of marketing, framed the program as an extension of how customers already live. A shelter pet that finds a home, he said, becomes part of “the way we live, travel and spend our time.”
Matt Bershadker, president and CEO of the ASPCA, credited Subaru’s sustained involvement with helping shelters and rescues across the country secure critical resources, and said the organization is grateful for the partnership.
Underdogs Get Their Own Holiday
The campaign’s most distinctive element may be National Make a Dog’s Day, a holiday Subaru created and which marks its seventh year on October 22. The day encourages people to adopt, foster, or otherwise support a shelter pet, with particular attention to what the company calls “Underdogs”: older dogs and dogs with disabilities, the animals that tend to wait longest for a home.
Subaru is supporting the day with an integrated ad campaign built around a 15-second spot titled “The First Thing You Notice,” which celebrates the original pack of Underdogs. Throughout October, retailers nationwide will also host in-person events, including adoption days and microchipping clinics, putting the dealership lot to use as a gathering place for local rescue work.
The Fine Print of Giving
Consumers can add to the total in three ways this month, each with a ceiling. Subaru will donate $1 to the ASPCA for every new subscriber to its Subie Texts program, up to $25,000, for people who text PETS to 78243. It will give $30 for each purchase of select Genuine Subaru Pet-Friendly Accessories through Subaru Parts Online, up to $10,000. And it will give $1 for each Animals Badge of Ownership ordered, up to $5,000.
Taken together, those consumer-triggered donations top out at $40,000, a small fraction of the more than $3.2 million in retailer-backed grants. The distinction is worth noting: the large sum is committed regardless of customer behavior, while the three promotions are a way to invite the public in. The text-message offer carries standard terms, including consent to recurring automated marketing messages, one enrollment per phone number, and no credit for existing subscribers. The promotions run from October 1 through October 31.
Why a Carmaker Cares About Pets
The motive is not hard to read. Subaru’s own survey suggests that for a large share of pet owners, the vehicle is what makes travel possible at all, and a road trip with a dog is a decision that favors a car over a plane. A brand that helps more animals find homes is, in a sense, helping to create more of those households. Because the survey was commissioned by Subaru, its figures are best read as the company’s framing of the market rather than independent measurement, though they square with the lived experience of anyone who has planned a vacation around a dog.
Still, the program’s longevity counts for something. Subaru of America says it and its foundation have donated more than $357 million to causes over the past 20 years, and that employees have logged more than 130,000 volunteer hours. Pet welfare is only one thread, but it is the one the company has made most visible, and this year’s announcement suggests it intends to keep it that way.
Details on the initiative are available at subaru.com/pets, and the campaign is tagged #SubaruLovesPets and #MakeADogsDay.