ASPCA Distributes Millions to Animal Welfare Orgs and Farm Animal Protection

May 18, 2012

In the first three months of 2012, the ASPCA distributed $5 million to animal welfare organizations across the country. We issued a total of 488 grants to 392 organizations, covering a variety of programs, including spay/neuter initiatives, adoption events, scholarships, animal rescue and disaster response.

"Helping organizations across the country save more animals is a major focus of the ASPCA's, and we are blown away by the sheer volume of grant requests we've received thus far," says Michael Barrett, ASPCA Vice President of Grants Management.

Highlights of the $5 million granted include:

• More than $1.5 million to support approximately 120 spay/neuter programs;
• More than $400,000 toward disaster and emergency response and rescue/seizures of animals from cruelty cases;
• Nearly $700,000 to fund adoption events and relocation programs for the transfer of animals from areas of low demand to areas of higher demand; and
• $88,000 to equine groups for emergency hay and feed, as well as cruelty seizures.

In the last month alone, the ASPCA distributed major funds to farm animal welfare organizations such as Farm Forward, which received $151,000 to promote humane poultry welfare at Good Shepherd Poultry Ranch in Lindsborg, Kansas. Good Shepherd raises pasture-based, vegetarian-fed heritage breed chickens and turkeys free of unnecessary antibiotics in spacious, welfare-friendly conditions.

The ASPCA also granted $100,000 to California-based Mercy for Animals (MFA) to support its education department in raising national awareness of the plight of today's farm animals. MFA reaches millions of individuals with its programming, and impacts the lives of many more suffering cows, chickens, sheep and pigs.

For more information about the ASPCA’s grants program, please visit www.aspcapro.org/Grants.