Department Accepting Grant Applications for Spay & Neuter Projects

Application deadline is April 1

ANNAPOLIS, MD  – The Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Spay and Neuter Grants Program is soliciting its latest round of applications for competitive grants that will help reduce intake and euthanasia numbers in Maryland animal shelters. With this round of funding the program will award a total of nearly $820,000 in grants, with a minimum of $5,000 per grant.

Eligible organizations include municipal or county governments and 501(c)3 nonprofit animal welfare organizations. See the program’s RFP document for more information on eligibility and the application process. Updated application-specific guidelines, forms and other materials are available on the program’s website.

Applications for this round of funding are due April 1 by 5 p.m. Applications may be for pet-focused projects, feral cat-focused projects, or capital expense/equipment requests. Applicants must be in good standing with the IRS, State of Maryland and local Animal Control Authority.

The Spay and Neuter Grants Program was established by the Maryland General Assembly during the 2013 Legislative Session. An advisory board, appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture, provides advice on how the fund should be administered; how competitive grants should be solicited and evaluated; and what information the department should require from local animal shelters and other qualifying animal welfare organizations. The board also provided recommendations to the guidelines and regulations needed to implement the program. More information on the program is available on its website.

Funding for this program comes wholely from fees paid by the pet food industry for each product they register to sell within the state.

To date the program has funded 123 projects, which will fund over 56,000 spay/neuter procedures. For more information or questions about the program, contact Spay and Neuter Grants Program Coordinator Jane Mallory at (410) 841-5766 or jane.mallory@maryland.gov.

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