$20,000 Awarded for Spay and Neuter Services Statewide

July 17, 2015

The Missouri Department of Agriculture today announced $20,000 in grant funding to assist organizations across the state in providing low cost spay and neuter services. The funding comes from the Missouri Spay & Neuter Grant Program, which helps animal shelters, humane societies and non-profit spay and neuter initiatives that are working to address pet overpopulation by reducing the cost of spaying and neutering animals.

Fourteen organizations were selected to receive funding from the Missouri Spay & Neuter Grant Program. Since 2009, the program has awarded at least $20,000 in grants annually. Selection was especially competitive this year, since ten more organizations than last year applied, and there was $5,000 less in available funds. The grants will aid each organization’s efforts to provide spay and neuter services to low income individuals and to reduce the number of unintended litters of dogs and cats. The fourteen grants were awarded to:

•    Ava Area Animal Welfare League, Ava – $1,000
•    BARC, Fenton – $1,000
•    Coalition for Animal Rescue and Education (C.A.R.E.), Cadet – $1,000
•    Spay & Neuter Kansas City – $1,000
•    Operation Spot, St. Louis – $1,000
•    City of Gladstone Animal Control, Gladstone – $1,800
•    Chain of Hope KC, Raytown – $1,800
•    Dent County Animal Welfare Society, Salem – $1,800
•    AnimalKind, Inc., Collins – $1,800
•    Humane Society of Southwest Missouri, Springfield – $1,800
•    Tri-Lakes Humane Society, Reeds Springs – $1,800
•    Tri County Friends for Animals, Lockwood – $1,800
•    PEP, Inc.,( Protect Every Pet), Bland – $1,000
•    S.T.A.F.F. (Society for the Treatment of Abandoned and Fractured Friends) Animal Rescue, Sunrise Beach – $1,000

The Missouri Spay and Neuter Grant Program is funded by sales of the “I’m Pet Friendly” license plates through the Missouri Department of Revenue. Each sale of the plate donates $20 to the Missouri Pet Spay/Neuter Fund, which is administered by the Missouri Department of Agriculture. Missourians do not have to wait until their current plates expire but may obtain “I’m Pet Friendly” license plates at any time by visiting their nearest license office or the Department of Revenue online at dor.mo.gov.

A three-member committee comprised of animal control and private humane society members from around the state evaluates each application and selects the grant recipients. All eligible organizations are encouraged to apply next year.

For more information, please visit the Missouri Department of Agriculture online at agriculture.mo.gov.

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