Animal Adoption Agencies To Share Windfall Of $15.5M - by Amy Lotven, Queens Chronicle - Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals, Inc. - Working with the City of New York to promote dog and cat adoption and spay and neuter programs to make New York a no-kill city.

Home > The Alliance in the News > 2005 Alliance News Items > Animal Adoption Agencies To Share Windfall Of $15.5M

Animal Adoption Agencies To Share Windfall Of $15.5M

Thursday, February 17, 2005

Thousands of stray cats and dogs in Queens may be saved due to a multimillion dollar grant from an Internet billionaire.

Maddie's Fund, a $200-million foundation created by former PeopleSoft Chairman David Duffield and named after his family's deceased schnauzer Maddie, will give $15.5 million over a 7-year period to the Mayor's Alliance for New York City Animals. The Alliance, a coalition of over 65 adoption and rescue centers, including 15 based in Queens, has a mission to reduce the amount of animals euthanized in the city solely because of homelessness.

In a radio address Sunday afternoon, Bloomberg explained that more than 27,000 homeless cats and dogs are put to death every year. "That is the terrible outcome of a problem that, with the right attention and resources, can be solved."

Bloomberg said the influx of the Maddie's Fund money should help over 14,000 animals get the necessary birth control surgeries and will help lower the number of euthanized animals by more than 3,000 during the first year. "Working together, we can move our city closer to that wonderful day when every pet that is born is assured of a safe, loving home," he said.

The Veterinary Medical Association, a coalition of local veterinarians dedicated to a no-kill policy, will receive $6 million to subsidize the costs of spaying and neutering pets from low-income Medicaid-eligible families. The remaining $9.5 million from the grant will be distributed to the Alliance.

Effie Cooper, executive secretary of the VMA, said the organization has actually not signed anything yet, but it's likely eligible New Yorkers will be able to visit participating clinics, including some in Queens, by mid-March.

Marcello Forte, executive director of Animal Haven in Flushing and a founding member of the Alliance, said out of the $9.5 million, a portion will be used to fund a citywide advertising campaign that promotes animal adoption and birth control. The commercials will most likely be created in-house by the ad council.

The remaining funds will be allocated to alliance members based on how many adoptions each organization has per year above its baseline. For example, if an organization placed 100 animals in 2004 and 125 in 2005, that group would receive funds for the extra 25 animals. Agencies will receive $150 for every animal that they place from a New York City shelter and $30 for animals picked up from the street, or the public.

Forte said Maddie's Fund is very well- known in the world of animal adoption agencies, and receiving the grant from the fund is a huge boost to every organization involved.

Animal Haven, located at 35-22 Prince Street, has been part of the Flushing community since the 1960s. Forte said the organization has grown exponentially over the past few years and now places more than 1,000 animals a year. He attributes the increase to the new mobile adoption vans as well as the off-site services and improved staff training.

"We still run on a very lean budget," he said. But he expects to receive a decent amount of money from the Maddie's Fund grant because of their growth rate. Animal Haven is currently undergoing construction with money from a different private grant and will soon boast a new cattery. The extra money will be used to continue to improve adoption services

Doreen Eiseman, of Loving Touch, a small Flushing-based rescue center, was not sure how much she would see from the grant money. The agency works mostly saving animals from the street, but she hopes to eventually pull in enough grant and donation funds to open a small shelter.

Garo Alexanian, director of the Forest Hills-based Companion Television Network, said Maddie's Fund chose to donate such a large amount to New York because they felt if a no-kill policy could succeed in the "Big Apple," it could work anywhere. "If we fail here in NYC, a huge opportunity will be lost," he said.

Alexanian said his organization has always wanted to advertise with a billboard along the Long Island Expressway, and may use its grant money for that purpose. He also stressed the importance of maintaining an intervention, or help line, for New Yorkers who are considering giving up their pets.

Rosanne Aratoon of Woodside-based Kitty Karetakers said her organization desperately needs transportation to help with the adoption process.

The founders of My Loveable Rescues, in Maspeth, hopes to use the funds to help with escalating veterinary bills and boarding costs.

"I feel that any funding toward animal rescue is vitally important and very much needed," said founder Laura Calchi. "Every reputable rescue group I know uses their own personal money to save their rescued animals."

Log on to www.AnimalAllianceNYC.org for more information about the Mayor's Alliance for New York City Animals and a list of participating adoption and rescue agencies,