Grant Applications for Spay & Neuter Projects Now Being Accepted; Application Deadline is May 29

ANNAPOLIS, MD – The Maryland Department of Agriculture’s statewide Spay and Neuter Grants Program is now soliciting applications for competitive grants to fund projects that will help reduce intake and euthanasia rates in Maryland animal shelters. Applications must be submitted by 5 p.m. on May 29 to be considered.

Newly revised, updated and expanded guidelines and other materials are available to help applicants through the application process and to develop the best proposals possible. New application forms are also being released this grant cycle. All grant guidelines and application forms as well as additional materials are available online here.

About $600,000 is available for this grant cycle. Applicants will be notified by early August whether their projects will be funded, either in whole or in part. The minimum grant amount to be considered will be $5,000.  There is no maximum at this time. Funding for the program comes from fees paid by pet food companies on each of the dog and cat foods they register to sell in the state.

Organizations eligible for grants include municipal and county governments, and 501(c)3 nonprofit animal welfare organizations. Eligible projects must efficiently and effectively facilitate, promote and increase spay and neuter services for cats and dogs. Projects should target low-income communities or populations to the greatest extent possible.

The Spay and Neuter Fund was established by the Maryland General Assembly during the 2013 Legislative Session as a new program within MDA. An advisory board, appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture, provides advice on how the fund should be administered. For more information about the program, visit the program webpage.

For more information or questions about the program, contact Spay and Neuter Grants Program Coordinator Jane Mallory at 410-841-5766 or by email at: Jane.Mallory@maryland.gov.

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