In 1994 PETsMART Charities, Inc. – now PetSmart Charities – was formed, an independent nonprofit organization to help save the lives of homeless pets by partnering with animal shelters. PETsMART had decided not to sell dogs and cats because of the hundreds of thousands of animals that are euthanized each year. Instead, via PetSmart Charities it donates space inside its stores to local humane societies and animal shelters for them to display homeless animals that customers can adopt. PetSmart Charities also offers grant funding and donations to animal-welfare programs and organizations. As of 2020, the organization had facilitated the adoption of more than 9 million dogs and cats.