Every journey has a story to tell. This one has heart, grit, and a whole lot of paws. Taking to Instagram Stories, Amanda Balionis shared a message with her followers. The CBS Sports golf reporter couldn’t hide her emotions as she announced her nonprofit’s upcoming fifth anniversary next month.

“Next month, it will be FIVE years since we founded @puppiesandgolf hoping to find a community who loved our mission and pillars as much as we do,” she wrote. But what came next revealed just how far that hope had traveled.

“To date: we have given over $600,000 in grants across all three pillars. We found more than our community. We have found a family who believes that we can make a difference in the lives of both animals and people in need by bringing them all together.”

The numbers tell only part of the story. When Balionis founded Puppies & Golf in 2020, she was already living what most would call a dream life. Yet something felt missing. The initiative had reached $500,000 in donations by 2024, showing steady growth. Now, approaching year five, that figure has jumped to over $600,000.

That acceleration didn’t happen by accident. Balionis leveraged her CBS Sports platform to bridge golf coverage and animal rescue. During tournament weeks, she visits local shelters and features adoptable dogs on her Instagram. At the 2025 Charles Schwab Challenge in Charlotte, she promoted nearly 100 dogs that entered Animal Care & Control in just five days.

Just last month, she raised $119,293 at the organization’s January 2025 Block Party in San Diego. The event resulted in four successful adoptions. Of that total, $88,376 was allocated to ongoing grant programs, while $30,917 supported shelters affected by the Los Angeles wildfires.

Top Stories

Tiger Woods’ Treatment of Caddies Set Him Apart from PGA Tour Rivals, Confesses Steve Williams

Rickie Fowler Comes Clean on Health Issue Stopping Him from Playing PGA Tour Events

Multiple PGA Tour Pros Exit $6M Tournament With Just Hours Left to Go for the Opening Round

Gary Players Issues Clear Statement After His Call to Abolish Ryder Cup Backfired

Phil Mickelson Is Unimpressed With LIV Golf Revamp as Jon Rahm Gives His Stamp of Approval

How Puppies & Golf’s three pillars are making a difference

The $600,000+ hasn’t just disappeared into administrative costs. Puppies & Golf operates through three core pillars that touch different communities. The Shelter and Rescue Support pillar provides FURever Shelter Grants to organizations nationwide. Wags and Walks, featured as their September 2024 Shelter of the Month, has saved over 6,000 dogs in six years.

The John Mascatello Family Grant program helps families facing unexpected medical or training bills for their rescue dogs. Recent recipient Becca received funding for her dog Charley’s mast cell tumor treatment. The result? Cancer-free. Alexandria got help with vaccinations, heartworm prevention, and food supplies.

The Military Veteran Support pillar hits closest to home for Balionis. She began volunteering with K9s For Warriors in 2014, while working for the PGA Tour in Jacksonville. That experience planted the seed that would become Puppies & Golf six years later.

The organization now partners with K9s For Warriors and Warrior Canine Connection to provide service dogs for veterans battling PTSD. K9s For Warriors reports that approximately 20 veterans die by suicide every day, while over 1,000 dogs are euthanized daily across the country. The partnership addresses both crises simultaneously.

Five years in, Balionis has built more than a nonprofit. She’s created a family.