Saginaw Co. animal shelter using grant funding to help homeless pets

SAGINAW, Mich. (WNEM) - Saginaw County Animal Care & Control has been awarded three state grants totaling just over $13,000 to help support its homeless pets.

The grants were awarded by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Animal Industry Division. TV5 was told the money will be put to good use.

Previous coverage: Mid-Michigan animal shelters to receive funding for welfare projects

“We were excited. I think we were particularly excited that we won all three of the grants that we applied for because that’s very uncommon,” said Rachel Horton, director of Saginaw County Animal Care & Control.

Horton said the state of Michigan awarded her agency a total of $13,000 for three grants that were applied for last fall. The grants are intended to help Michigan’s registered animal shelters better support homeless pets.

“The first is for vaccinating and microchipping shelter pets, the second one is for spaying and neutering shelter pets, and the third one is for training our animal control officers,” she said.

Horton said the grant money will help the shelter with its goal of faster adoptions, increased vet care, shorter stays, and fewer animals in foster care.

“We want to get them spayed and neutered as soon as that stray hold is over, get them adopted out really fast, get them microchipped. So if they do come back to us, we know who their owners are, they’re not reproducing, they’re not sick, they’re vaccinated,” Horton said. “We’re creating a very healthy community for our animals.”

MDARD said taxpayers can check the Animal Welfare Fund box on their state tax return to help local shelters meet community needs.

MDARD awarded $150,000 in animal welfare fund grants to 28 registered animal shelters statewide.

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