Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. (Jan. 22, 2026) – Helen Woodward Animal Center’s Pets Without Walls is one of its most heart-warming programs, providing weekly wellness care to the pets of the city’s unhoused individuals. Each winter, the program offers a Cozy Critter Visit, expanding its services to provide literal warmth to these pets and their families. For the third year in a row, the Center is honored to be joined by Lucky Duck Foundation, partnering to furnish even more cold-weather supplies. Helen Woodward Animal Center’s Pets Without Walls program and Lucky Duck Foundation will be on site at Father Joe’s Neil Good Day Center (located at 299 17th Street San Diego, CA 92101) Thursday, January 29th at 9:00 a.m. with a cozy gift drop-off for both people and pets.
PHOTOS & VIDEO FROM PAST EVENTS: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lp44zSBfWIGbnnLNdVHDn3BH0xT2q2dq?usp=sharing
With the knowledge that one in four individuals experiencing homelessness have a pet, Helen Woodward Animal Center launched its Pets Without Walls. The program that began eight years ago aims to assist unhoused families by keeping their furry companions fed and healthy. Pets Without Walls makes regular weekly visits to shelters headed by Alpha Project, Father Joe’s, Interfaith, PACE, Meals on Wheels and PATH in San Diego, providing health checks, microchipping, preventative medical care, important vaccinations, flea and tick medication, and pet food (through an extension of its AniMeals program), as well as human clothing and blanket donations from the Center’s Orphaned Objects resale store.
The Lucky Duck Foundation was formed in 2005 by Pat & Stephanie Kilkenny to raise funds and awareness for numerous charitable causes throughout San Diego, including Helen Woodward Animal Center. The co-founders match all donations up to $1.5 million each year. In 2016, noticing a growing and urgent need for action addressing San Diego’s homeless crisis, the Foundation determined they could have an even greater impact if they focused Lucky Duck’s efforts exclusively on homelessness.
Helen Woodward Animal Center is honored to partner with Lucky Duck Foundation for its 2026 Cozy Critter visit. With San Diego’s brisk evening temperatures in full swing, the Center’s Pets Without Walls program will be providing pet supplies specifically aimed at keeping the beloved pets of the city’s homeless individuals safe and protected from the elements, including pet sweaters, pet blankets, leashes and pet hygiene products. At the same time, Lucky Duck Foundation will be on-site distributing sleeping bag coats, food, water and other essential supplies to human friends in need.
“We’re proud to partner with Helen Woodward Animal Center to provide warmth, care, and hope during the coldest months of the year to individuals and their beloved companions, who are often their only source of companionship,” said Lucky Duck Chief Executive Officer Drew Moser. “We are glad to provide food & water and other needs to help those suffering from homelessness find relief and a brighter path.”
“The love these pets and their owners have for one another is truly heartwarming,” said Helen Woodward Animal Center VP of Development Renee Resko, “It means the world to us partner with Lucky Duck on this special Cozy Critter event to assist in keeping these individuals and their pets healthy and warm so they can stay focused on getting themselves back on their feet.”
Members of the media are invited to the Pets Without Walls “Cozy Critter” Visit at 9 a.m. on Thursday, January 29th at Father Joes (located at 299 17th Street San Diego, CA 92101). Please RSVP if you plan to attend.
MEDIA CONTACT:
PR & Communications Director, Jessica Gercke at JessicaG@animalcenter.org cell (619) 977-0999
PR & Communications Manager Austin Hale at AustinH@animalcenter.org, cell (919) 830-0679
PR & Communications Manager Mike Makie at MichaelM@animalcenter.org, cell (619)884-4799
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About Helen Woodward Animal Center
Helen Woodward Animal Center is a private, non-profit organization where “people help animals and animals help people.” Founded in 1972 in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., the Center provides services for more than 90,000 people and more than 10,000 animals annually through adoptions, educational and therapeutic programs both onsite and throughout the community. Helen Woodward Animal Center is also the creator of the International Home 4 the Holidays pet adoption drive, the International Remember Me Thursday® campaign and The Business of Saving Lives Workshops, teaching the business of saving lives to animal welfare leaders from around the world. For more information, go to: https://animalcenter.org.
About the Lucky Duck Foundation
Since 2005, The Lucky Duck Foundation (LDF) has raised funds and awareness for numerous charitable causes throughout San Diego. In 2017, due to the growing homelessness epidemic, LDF pivoted to focus on providing aid and relief for individuals and families suffering from homelessness. Since then, LDF and its co-founders, Pat & Stephanie Kilkenny, have funded, activated, and led several high-impact programs that alleviate the suffering of homelessness throughout San Diego County, including bridge shelters, employment and job training, research, permanent supportive housing, outreach, and more. Originally called the AGIA Foundation (Arrowhead General Insurance Agency), the name was changed to the Lucky Duck Foundation to honor the Kilkenny family’s Irish heritage and as a nod to their love of the University of Oregon. The premise is simple: if you have had some good luck and fortune in your life, share your luck with those less fortunate. And, all donations are matched by Pat & Stephanie, up to $1.5 million per year.
