Health & Welfare Assistance

The Health & Welfare Assistance fund has been established by the Giant Schnauzer Club of America thanks to the generosity of the Audry Fitzgerald estate. Its objective is to provide support through financial assistance to individuals with a Giant Schnauzer in need. Any purebred Giant is eligible, but priority will always be given to senior dogs with assistance focused on helping them live longer, healthy lives with their owners. The reasons for needing assistance may include, but are not limited to, health/medical, nutritional/food, housing, and/or transportation. Any assistance that is approved will be paid directly to the party or organization providing the service for the dog (e.g., veterinary clinic, boarding facility, pet food supplier, etc.) and may not be paid directly to the owner.



To ensure financial sustainability and that the program prioritizes Giants in accordance with the wishes of its benefactor, the following limitations have been established:



  • The maximum grant amount is $2000 or 75% of the total financial impact, whichever is less.

  • An individual Giant is limited to receiving only one grant, regardless of the amount, during its lifetime.

  • Giants primarily owned by or in the possession of an active breeder (one who has bred a litter of any breed within the previous 3 years), a rescue organization or their foster homes, or a municipal or private animal shelter are not eligible for grants.

  • Giants that have been sold, placed, rehomed, or adopted through a breeder, rescue organization, or shelter within the previous 12 months are not eligible for grants.


The review and approval process may take days or even weeks, and therefore it is not suited to paying for emergencies at the time of treatment. DO NOT WAIT TO SEEK VETERINARIAN CARE for your Giant. However, applications may be submitted after the fact for such situations to help offset the cost of emergency care.



All requests for assistance should be submitted via the online form available at Health & Welfare Assistance Application. Submissions are distributed to all members of the Health & Welfare Committee for review with one of the committee members following up shortly thereafter. Final decisions are made by the GSCA Board of Directors based on the recommendations of the committee. Grants from the fund are made at the sole discretion of the Giant Schnauzer Club of America, Inc. All decisions by the GSCA Health & Welfare Committee and/or the GSCA Board of Directors are final and not subject to appeal.



Since its inception, the Health & Welfare Assistance program has given out over $24,000 to Giants in need across the United States. We are proud to have been able to help the following Giants: Freeway, Edith, Bee, Angelina, Penny, Lady, Sully, Abe, Shiloh, Morpheus, Buddy, Shadow, Annabelle, and Tyrion.