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Home > Out of the Cage! > January 2005 > Message from the President: Maddie's Fund Grant Delivers Much-needed Funds to Help NYC's Homeless Animals Message from the President Maddie's Fund Grant Delivers Much-needed Funds to Help NYC's Homeless Animals by Jane Hoffman, President, Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals
A new year brings exciting news to New York City — the award of a first year Maddie's Fund grant that will move the city closer to ending the killing of its healthy and treatable homeless animals. Beginning this month, the grant will provide payments that, as goals are achieved, will total up to $15.5 million over the next seven years. The funds are being provided to the Mayor's Alliance and the Veterinary Medical Association of New York City (VMANYC), which partnered with the Alliance in applying for the grant. Approximately $9.5 million over the 7 years of the grant will be spent to increase pet adoptions. The Alliance aims to increase above-baseline adoptions and decrease the number of dogs and cats euthanized in NYC shelters by 2,800 in the first project year. Six million dollars will be allocated over 7 years to provide subsidies to low-income New Yorkers for spay and neuter surgeries for their pets. The spay/neuter program will be administered by the VMANYC, which expects its member veterinarians to perform 14,000 spay/neuter surgeries in the first year alone. The VMANYC, one of the oldest veterinary associations in the U.S., currently has some 260 members in private practice and/or working at not-for-profit veterinary institutions located within the NY Metropolitan area. As we described in a previous issue of Out of the Cage!, allocation of the Maddie's Fund grant will map to the Alliance's ten-year business plan that features four core objectives: 1) increase the number of adoptions; 2) decrease animal homelessness; 3) raise public awareness of local shelter and rescue organizations and their animals; and 4) strengthen the Mayor's Alliance shelters' and rescue groups' current efforts and resources. The grant offers about one-third of the total amount of money needed to fund these core programs over ten years. Additional funding will be raised from other sources, including individual contributions, corporate sponsorships, and foundation grants. Transforming New York City into a no-kill environment is a tremendous challenge for everyone involved — the shelters and rescue groups, New York City's Animal Care & Control, and the citizens of our great city. Now, powered by Maddie's Fund's financial support and its demonstrated faith in New York's ability to tackle the difficult challenges ahead, we are confident that New York will succeed in becoming a no-kill city in the foreseeable future. Best wishes in 2005, – Jane P.S. Some of our readers and supporters have asked us what they can do to help the animals suffering as a result of the tsunami tragedy in East Asia. Sharon Meir, of Training Cats and Dogs, did some research and identified three organizations that are accepting donations to help the animals in the region. If you'd like to find out how you can help, we suggest you visit any or all of the following websites: World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA)
For more information about the Mayor's Alliance and its Participating Organizations, please visit the Alliance website at www.AnimalAllianceNYC.org.
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