Department to Award $892,000 in Grants to Help Reduce Euthanasia Rates of Companion Animals and Un-Owned Cats Across the State

Spay and Neuter Program Announces FY19 Cycle of Grant Recipients

ANNAPOLIS, MD – The Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Spay and Neuter Grant Program is awarding more than $892,000 to 36 different projects representing 21 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.

Since its first round of grants in FY2015, the Spay and Neuter Program has funded 123 projects, which have completed 36,163 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. Less intake to the shelters helps reduce the financial and manpower burden on county shelters and increases the chances that current shelter dogs and cats will find homes. We have been very impressed by the quality of applications we receive and the terrific results the grantees are able to accomplish.”

Solicitation for this latest round of grants was posted in January 2018. Of the 40 applications received, 36 were approved for funding — the greatest number of approved grants in one cycle thus far. Out of the 36 approved projects, 22 are focused on pets and 14 are focused on feral cats. The projected total of spay/neuter procedures to be performed by these projects is 16,376. Click here for a detailed list of this year’s projects.

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.

For more information on the program, visit the department’s Spay and Neuter website. For questions, please contact Jane Mallory at jane.mallory@maryland.gov or 410-841-5770.

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