Fayette Community Foundation Grant Proposal – Your Thoughts / Ideas

Fayette Community Foundation Grant Request

Fayette Friends of the Animal Shelter (FOTAS) was formed in March, 2024. Since March we have accomplished a great deal in a short amount of time but we are still in the process of obtaining our 501C3. We hope to receive it very soon.   FOTAS has two primary goals:

·         Find homes for all pets at the shelter

·         Reduce the number of abandoned pets

To  find homes for pets we use community engagement, education and financial incentives for adoption. Reducing the pet population is the greatest challenge and is the focus of this grant request.

Alabama Law states all pets leaving a shelter must either be sterilized before leaving, within 30 days after adoption or within 30 days of sexual maturity. Currently the local shelter does not comply with this law.   Research shows an unspayed dog can be responsible for 67,000 offspring in her lifetime. The number for cats is 400,000. Sterilization is the key to reducing the number of cats and dogs without homes in Fayette County.

We propose a common-sense approach to sterilization  that complies with Alabama law. We will use grant funds to assist with obtaining least-cost sterilization and offer needs-based fee assistance. We will leverage the value of granted funds with volunteer services to follow up, organize low cost services and transport pets to them.

Money invested by an owner in a pet makes the owner more responsible. Therefore, we propose fees as follows:

$20.00/pet for owners receiving any public assistance such as Medicaid, Snap, WIC , Disability, etc.

$40.00/pet for family income below $75,000

$75.00/pet for family income above $75,000

Hardship cases would always be given consideration.  Fayette County residency will be required.

FOTAS-raised funds would be made available for some pets not adopted from the Shelter but we think grant funds should be limited to Shelter pets. This helps make the Shelter compliant with Alabama Law as well as reduces the number of unwanted pets.

Our goal is to sterilize the highest number of pets possible.  Our volunteers would educate on the benefits of spaying and neutering and do all outreach both before and after the surgical procedure.

Based on careful calculations and strict use of the grant money received, approximately 150 pets could be spayed with a grant of  $7500. If sterilization is evenly divided between cats and dogs, the number of unwanted cats and dogs could be reduced, practically, by thousands. We need $300 to purchase transportation crates.

We, therefore, most respectfully request to be funded for this program in the amount of $7,800.00

Currently  there is no viable program for sterilization. Disbursed funds have no “needs” criteria applied.  There is no follow-up. There is no effort to utilize the Alabama Spay/Neuter Clinic  to reduce wait times.

Section 3-8-1 of the Code of Alabama places a requirement on ALL pet owners to have that pet vaccinated and      sterilized.  The numbers of pets abandoned in Fayette is shocking and inhumane and a result of a failure to follow the law. This grant will begin the process of educating and creating a culture of responsible pet ownership while reducing the number of pets dumped in your yards.