Friends of Michigan Animals Rescue of Belleville has been awarded a $10,000 grant through the Michigan Department of Agriculture to support FMAR’s spay and neuter program.
The winners of the 2010 Companion Animal Welfare tax check-off funds, which generated $118,372.58, were announced Monday. The total is being distributed among 13 state registered animal shelters.
Each selected shelter will receive between $3,000 and $10,000 in reimbursement for the purchase of supplies, services, and material for spay and neuter activities.
The only other Wayne County winner was the Allen Park Police Department, which got $6,000.
“I was so excited when I received the letter saying that we had been awarded this grant,” said Marci LaFramboise, founder of FMAR.
“We had tried in the past without success. This is really going to mean a lot to our bottom line. This $10,000 is to spay/neuter the shelter animals before they are adopted,” LaFramboise said.
Friends of Michigan Animals Rescue will hold an open house from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 30, at the shelter at 51299 Arkona Road in Sumpter Township, just east of Rawsonville Road.
The open house is to show off the newly completed Cat Haven, but there also will be a lot of celebrating of the new grant.
The Cat Haven has been constructed in a pole barn that was donated by MM Augusta, LLC, and transported down Rawsonville Road by Gasper Recycling, who put it down next to the current shelter behind the LaFramboise home on Arkona Road.
It took a long time to renovate the Cat Haven because of lack of funds and building supplies, but what was needed came eventually.
Now FMAR is ready to show it off to the public. The current shelter will be turned into a dog-only facility.
The state grant announced Monday came through the Animal Welfare Fund that was established under Public Act 132 of 2007. The fund supports efforts relating to the spaying and neutering of animals and helps finance the costs for protecting and caring for animals that have been subjected to cruelty or neglect. Taxpayers may elect to contribute $5, $10, or any other amount to the fund.
“Michigan citizens’ tax check-off funds are helping local shelters struggling with increased animal populations with the sterilization of pre-adoption pets in 2011,” said State Veterinarian Steven Halstead.
“MDA received 34 proposals requesting a total of $316,192.58 in funding, indicating there is great need out there. Pet adopters appreciate the convenience of having the sterilization completed before the pets are taken home.”
The Michigan Department of Agriculture is planning the next round of requests for proposals in October 2011, based on the tax check-off contributions from tax payers this year.
Others receiving grants were Eaton County Humane Society, Missaukee Humane Society, Humane Society of Genesee County, Allegan County Animal Shelter, Isabella County Animal Control, Benzie County Animal Control, Manistee County Humane Society (Homeward Bound Animal Shelter), Newaygo County, Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan, Ingham County Animal Control, and Volunteers for Muskegon County Animal Control.