DETROIT – Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander is donating $100,000 to Michigan Humane for Military as he celebrates the end of his 21-season Major League Baseball career.
The donation, made on behalf of the Detroit Tigers Foundation, is part of Verlander’s Career Celebration Weekend, held Sept. 25-26 in Detroit as he closes out a career that began and will end with the Tigers.
Michigan Humane for Military has covered adoption fees for veterans and active-duty service members since 2018.
Eligible veterans and service members can adopt an animal with the fee waived, along with a full adoption package and discounted veterinary care for the animal’s lifetime.
The program currently supports about 160 veteran and military adoptions each year.
Michigan Humane officials said Verlander’s donation is expected to help increase that number to between 250 and 300 annually.
Verlander said the donation was a fitting way to mark the end of his career in Detroit.
The future Baseball Hall of Famer’s support for veterans dates back more than a decade.
In 2013, he pledged $1 million to launch Wins for Warriors, which supports veteran mental health.
In 2019, Verlander and his wife, Kate Upton, personally presented veterans with service dogs in West Palm Beach, Florida, through their Adopt. Rescue. Heal. program.
The latest donation combines that longtime commitment with animal welfare.
Michigan Humane officials say pets can provide mental, physical, and emotional health benefits, particularly for veterans dealing with mental health challenges.
Steve Andre, a U.S. Air Force and Ukrainian military veteran, said he found his cat, Luna, through Michigan Humane after volunteering with the organization.
Andre said Michigan Humane for Military allowed him to adopt Luna at no cost.
Verlander’s donation is expected to expand the program’s reach and allow more veterans and service members to adopt pets without the cost of an adoption fee.
Michigan Humane, founded in 1877, is the oldest and largest nonprofit animal welfare organization in Michigan.
The organization operates shelters, veterinary clinics, and community programs throughout southeastern Michigan.
