ANNAPOLIS (August 08, 2017)—The Maryland Department of Agriculture's Spay and Neuter Grant Program is awarding more than $860,000 to 29 different projects, representing 18 counties and Baltimore City. These projects will provide free spay and neuter services targeted to low-income pet owners and managers of un-owned cats across the state.
Three non-profit organizations in the tri-county area received grants for four different projects. They are:
PROJECT: Compassion for Community Cats Project 2018
ORGANIZATION: Last Chance Animal Rescue
FUNDED AMOUNT: $29,730.00
This project will provide free spay and neuter (including rabies vaccinations) to 540 feral cats in colonies in Waldorf, Bel Alton, Bryantown, Indian Head, La Plata, Marbury, Nanjemoy, and White Plains.
PROJECT: Free Spay/Neuter at HSCC
ORGANIZATION: Humane Society of Charles County
FUNDED AMOUNT: $25,122.50
This project will provide free spay and neuter (including rabies vaccinations if needed) to 350 pets of low income residents in 14 towns throughout the county.
PROJECT: Community Cats in Newburg and Cobb Island
ORGANIZATION: Humane Society of Charles County
FUNDED AMOUNT: $13,649.00
This project will provide free spay and neuter (including rabies vaccinations) to 200 feral cats in colonies in Newburg, Cobb Island, and Issue.
PROJECT: St. Mary's Spay Neuter Your Pet (SNYP) Program
ORGANIZATION: St. Mary's Animal Welfare League
FUNDED AMOUNT: $27,897.50
This project will provide free spay and neuter (including rabies vaccinations if needed) to 410 pet cats and dogs of low income residents in Lexington Park, California, Leonardtown, and Mechanicsville.
Since its first round of grants in FY2015, the Spay and Neuter Program has funded 56 projects, which have completed 21,421 procedures to date. Animal shelter data since then has shown a steady decline in both euthanasia and intake rates.
"Our goal is to reduce intake and euthanasia of cats and dogs in Maryland animal shelters," said Program Coordinator Jane Mallory. "Every spay and neuter procedure reduces the risk of a dog or cat having an unwanted litter that may end up in a county shelter. We have been very impressed by the quality of applications we receive and the terrific work the grantees have been able to do."
Solicitation for this latest round of grants was posted in January 2017. Of the 39 applications received, 29 were approved for funding. This includes 20 pet-focused projects and nine projects focused on feral cats. The projected total of spay/neuter procedures to be performed by these projects is 14,373.
The Spay and Neuter Grant Program was created by the General Assembly in 2013 (FY 2014) to reduce the number of unwanted cats and dogs euthanized in shelters across the state. The program distributes competitive grants to local governments and animal welfare organizations that promote and provide free spay and neuter services to pets of low income Marylanders and to colonies of feral cats. The program distributed its first round of grants in FY 2015.
Funding for this program comes from fees paid by pet food companies who register to sell their products in Maryland.