MDA Proposes Regulations to Guide State’s New Spay and Neuter Program; MDA Hires Grant Specialist to Administer Statewide Program

ANNAPOLIS, MD – The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) today proposed regulations that will guide the operation of the new statewide Spay and Neuter Program, which is designed to reduce the number of cats and dogs euthanized in shelters across the state. The program will provide grants to nonprofit animal welfare organizations and local governments that promote and provide spay and neuter services, with preference given to those that target low income communities.

The regulations, which appear in today’s Maryland Register, set the broad framework under which the program will operate. Grant guidelines and applications are expected to be completed this summer. The regulations were recommended by the Spay and Neuter Advisory Board whose members were appointed by Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance late last year.

The proposed regulations can be read on the Maryland Register or on MDA’s website.

Public comments on the proposed regulations will be accepted through April 21 and should be sent to Mark Powell, MDA Marketing Chief, 50 Harry S Truman Parkway, Annapolis, MD 21401. By phone: 410-841-5770, by fax: 410-841-5987; by email: Mark.Powell@maryland.gov .

MDA hired Jane Mallory last month as the grant specialist responsible for administering the program. Ms. Mallory earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in biology at the California State University in Fullerton and worked as a field biologist and botanist for several environmental consulting firms. For the past eight years, she served as the sole Natural Resources Management Specialist for the U.S. Department of Defense Legacy Resource Management Program, which funds projects that conserve the natural and cultural resources on military lands.

The Spay and Neuter Fund was established by the Maryland General Assembly during the 2013 Legislative Session as a new program within MDA. The program is funded by a fee levied on registered dog and cat foods and paid by pet food manufacturers.

Click here to read the law establishing the Spay and Neuter Program program. For information about the board, click here. 

For further information, contact Grant Specialist Jane Mallory 410-841-5766.

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