ANNAPOLIS, MD (December 10, 2024) ~ Annapolis, MD - The Maryland Department of Agriculture's Spay and Neuter Grants Program has recently announced the recipients of their latest round of funding. A total of 36 grant recipients have been selected to receive a combined amount of $959,216.00 to support projects that promote and increase spay and neuter services for cats and dogs in Maryland.

The grants are chosen by a seven-member advisory board, appointed by the Maryland Secretary of Agriculture. This board reviews all grant applications and makes recommendations for funding to the Secretary. The selected projects will aim to complete 14,379 spay and neuter surgeries for low-income pet owners in Maryland, as well as free-roaming unowned cats.

Some projects have already begun on October 1, 2024, while others will start on January 1, 2025, and continue until grant funding is exhausted or April 1, 2026. Recipients include government animal shelters and nonprofit animal welfare organizations with a 501(c)3 status. A full list of awardees can be found on the Spay and Neuter Grants Program website, along with information about all active owned pet projects and feral cat projects.

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Maryland Department of Agriculture Secretary Kevin Atticks expressed his satisfaction with the program's success in controlling the pet population in Maryland. "The Department's successful Spay and Neuter program has provided funding to countless organizations to help control the pet population in Maryland," he said. "These organizations do an outstanding job providing services to the communities in which they serve."

The Spay and Neuter grant program was launched in 2014 with the goal of reducing intake and euthanasia rates in Maryland shelters. It is funded through fees paid by the pet food industry for each product they register to sell within the state. Since its inception, the program has awarded a total of $8,826,173 in funds to 317 grant projects, resulting in over 119,565 spay and neuter procedures. According to data reported to the department as of December 31, 2023, there has been a 2% decrease in dog and cat intakes to shelters and a significant decrease of 50% in shelter euthanasia rates.

The next grant application cycle for FY26 will open in January 2025 and close in April 2025. Interested parties can visit the program website for application materials, instructions, and other relevant information. For any questions about the program or the grant applications, individuals can contact the Spay and Neuter Program Coordinator, Jen Swanson, at (410) 841-5766 or jen.swanson@maryland.gov.

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