Foreclosure Pets Grant Awardees Announced

Eleven animal shelters and rescue organizations across the United States are the first awardees of the grants from a special fund created in March to assist nonprofit organizations during the foreclosure and financial crisis currently affecting the nation. A sharp increase was reported by shelters in the number of families who can’t afford to keep or feed their pets.

Set up in March by the Humane Society of the United States, the goal of the program is to ease the burden brought on by economic hardship. After verifying the nonprofit status of each group selected, the HSUS announced the initial 11 grant recipients:

• Stray Rescue of St. Louis ($2,000 grant)
  
  
• Oregon Outback Humane Society, Lakeview, Ore. ($2,000 grant)
  
  
• A Purrfect World, Bloomfield, N.J. ($2,000 grant)
  
  
• The Dodge County Humane Society, Inc., Beaver Dam, Wis. ($2,000 grant)
  
  
• Paws With Pride Animal Rescue, Uniontown, Ohio ($2,000 grant)
  
  
• Community Partnership for Pets, Flat Rock, N.C. ($2,000 grant)
  
  
• Spay Neuter Indiana Pets, Inc., Martinsville, Ind. ($2,000 grant)
  
  
• Humane Society of Westmoreland County, Greensburg, Pa. ($2,000 grant)
  
  
• Forget Me Not Animal Shelter, Republic, Wash. ($2,000 grant)
  
  
• Roanoke Valley SPCA, Roanoke, Va. ($1,000 grant)
  
  
• Monroe County Animal League, Inc., Union, W.Va. ($2,000 grant)

The first round of recipients was selected from a pool of almost 70 applicants. Grants range from $500 to $2,000 per organization. “We’re beginning our second round review process soon,” said Kelly Connolly of the HSUS.

The foreclosure fund program will be in place as long as donations are made and there is a need, according to the HSUS. Preference is given to organizations that have a cooperative agreement with other agencies in their community, such as a food bank or other community service agency.

For more on the Foreclosure Pets Grant Program, click here.