This grant for animal spaying, neutering should help cut number of unwanted animals

Organizations that offer spaying and neutering of dogs and cats will be awarded $425,000 in grants on Monday at 2 p.m. to help with sterilization efforts.

Twenty-three grants will be awarded by Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black and Companion Animal Manager Mark Murrah at the Macon Market on Eisenhower Parkway, according to a press release.

“Local communities often have citizens who are burdened by the high costs of having their pets spayed or neutered,” Black said in the press release. “This grant program does a wonderful job in targeting these communities all across Georgia in an effort to aid them as they strive to keep strays off the street and control the animal population in a humane manner.”

The Dogs and Cats Sterilization Program is funded by the purchase of Dogs and Cats Sterilization Auto Tags, income tax checkoff and donations to the program. This will be the fourth set of grants administered, according to the press release.

Organizations receiving grant funding in the Middle Georgia area include Friends of the Perry Animal Shelter, S.A.F.E. Saving Animals From Euthanasia, Humane Society of Houston County, Baldwin County Animal Control, Oconee Regional Humane Society, Perry Animal Control, City of Warner Robins Animal Shelter, Circle of Friends Animal Society, Inc., Jones County Animal Control and Kitty City Cat Rescue, the release said.

More than 100,000 animals have been impacted by the Dogs and Cats Sterilization Program since it began.

This story was originally published September 21, 2018 at 4:39 PM.