Governor Kathy Hochul recently announced $7.6 million is available to support animal shelters and humane societies in making critical upgrades at New York’s animal shelters. This is the fifth round of funding for New York State’s Companion Animal Capital Fund, the first state-funded program in the nation to provide for shelter improvement projects. Funded projects will enhance animal care and help to ensure adoptions for New York’s dogs and cats.
“Our Companion Animal Capital Fund has made a real difference to shelters across New York State, and the animals in their care,” Governor Hochul said. “I’m proud to announce this latest round of funding, which will continue to build on the great work of this program, and most importantly help our animals stay happy and healthy as they await their forever homes.”
This announcement brings the total dedicated to the program to more than $27.5 million since 2017. To date under the program, 58 projects have been awarded across the state and 26 projects have been fully completed.
Administered by the Department of Agriculture and Markets, the Companion Animal Capital Fund provides matching grants to shelters and humane societies to offset the costs associated with capital projects, such as renovating dog kennels, improving medical facilities, or building more efficient shelters to reduce overall operational costs. Funds are also used to construct, renovate, rehabilitate, or acquire buildings or equipment needed to house, treat, and care for sheltered dogs and cats. The Department selects grant recipients based on a need assessment, detailed project description, and reasonableness of cost.
Two Requests for Proposals (RFPs) have been released through Round 5 of this program:
•RFP 0289 – $6.6 million is available to award grants between $50,000 and $500,000 to municipal and incorporated not-for-profit pounds, shelters, and humane societies. Entities that have been awarded funds during previous Companion Animal Capital Fund opportunities are eligible to apply for an award under this RFP. Previously funded projects must be complete before an entity can apply for an award.
•RFP 0290 – $1 million is available to award grants between $50,000 and $200,000 to pounds, shelters or humane societies that are not operated by or under contract with a municipality but that are registered with the Department.
State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “The Department has celebrated the completion of projects at animal shelters across New York and seen the impact of our Companion Animal Capital Fund program. Through the previous four rounds, we have helped our dogs and cats have safer, happier stays in shelters as they await their forever homes. I am proud to see this program continue to make a difference for New York’s shelters and humane societies, and look forward to visiting more of the exciting, completed projects in the future.”
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