In the 18 months since establishing an offsite adoption program at local PetSmart stores, Pima Animal Care Center (PACC) said it has placed more than 2,300 homeless dogs and cats in forever homes, and thanks to a grant exceeding $85,000 from PetSmart Charities, the organization will be able to continue its offsite adoption program for another year.

“PetSmart Charities is a driving force behind every lifesaving initiative that’s happened at PACC,” Karen Hollish, PACC director of development and marketing said in a release posted on the Pima County website. “From feeding high-quality food to our dogs, to staffing our Pet Support Center, to sustaining our offsite adoption program, we wouldn’t be where we are today without PetSmart Charities’ investments in our community.”

PACC officials said the grant provides resources for the adoption program and animal care and helps expedite the process of finding homes, reducing the amount of time they are shelter, the release said. PACC’s average shelter stay for a cat was 19 days in 2016 compared with seven days in 2016. Kittens sent to the stores for adoption often stay only hours or minutes before going home with new owners.