STATE — Furry companions became a lifeline for many people during the pandemic as an estimated 23 million American households adopted a pet. At the same time, however, housing issues and loss of income made life more stressful for some pet owners.
Grants from Maine Community Foundation’s Animal Welfare Fund helped close gaps in services with support for veterinary services, vaccination clinics, food, spay and neuter assistance, and stay-at-home programs. MaineCF has awarded more than $1 million in grants since the program began in 2008.
Proposals for this year’s grants are now being accepted through June 1. A virtual information session about the grant program will be held from noon to 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 28.
To register for the information session and to learn more about the program, visit mainecf.org, or contact Program Officer John Ochira at 1-877-700-6800 or jochira@mainecf.org.
The Animal Welfare Fund awarded $282,500 in grants to 21 nonprofit organizations in 2021, including $20,000 for the Animal Welfare Society to support increased capacity in the Stay@Home program and maintain state-wide spay/neuter efforts, $10,000 for Another Chance Animal Rescue, to support 100 cats spay/neutered and to help more than 25 low-income families with veterinary bills, and $20,000 to the Pope Memorial Humane Society of Knox County, for the spay-neuter voucher program in order to provide 350 spay/neuter vouchers for cats, dogs, and rabbits.
An anonymous donor established the fund in 2007. It is further supported by the Doree Taylor Charitable Foundation, Bank of America, N.A. Trustee, and the George F. Lyman and Ernestine Lyman Trust. To learn more about the foundation, visit www.mainecf.org.
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