RALEIGH – The Animal Welfare Section of the Veterinary Division of the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services recently awarded nine community shelters grants as part of the Animal Shelter Support Fund program. These funds will be used to help shelters improve their facilities to better comply with the Animal Welfare Act.
“Many local government-run shelters have been faced with staffing shortages, an increased number of animals from the community and limited funding for repairs,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “The Animal Shelter Support Fund was once used only for emergencies from hurricanes and other natural disasters. I appreciate the change in legislation that allowed us to also award funding to shelters needing upgrades and other repairs. We know these funds will be beneficial to the shelters receiving them and help to better serve the animals in their care.”
The following shelters received funding from the Animal Shelter Support Fund
- Anson County: $8,660 for replacements and/or upgrades to the shelter’s lighting system.
- Davidson County: $12,000 for replacement of outdoor primary enclosures.
- Greene County: $50,000 for administrative costs and improvements/upgrades to the fencing, flooring and painting in the animal housing facility.
- Halifax County: $36,500 for upgrades to the flooring of the animal housing areas, repairs and/or replacement of the 36 dog primary enclosures, and replacement of cables to the run doors.
- Person County: $5,600 for improvements to the outdoor exercise areas.
- Robeson County: $50,000 for upgrades to the flooring of the animal housing areas.
- Rowan County: $3,500 for upgrades to the animal transport enclosures.
- Stokes County: $25,000 for improvement and/or upgrades to the primary enclosures flooring and fencing of the enclosure gates.
- Washington County: $12,500 for replacements and/or upgrades to the primary enclosures, ventilation, and indoor facility ceiling.
Applicants to the Animal Shelter Support fund had to submit copies of their AWS facility compliance report citing specific violations or a date and description of an incident and the damage incurred. Applications also included an itemized listing of the costs for which funding is sought.
The Animal Welfare Section inspects more than 900 facilities annually for compliance with the Animal Welfare Act, including local government-run shelters. Facilities receive unannounced inspections on an annual basis or more often if needed. More information on the Animal Shelter Support Fund and the Animal Welfare Section is available online at https://www.ncagr.gov/divisions/veterinary/aws.
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