The St. Clair and Sanilac County Humane Societies have been awarded 2020 Animal Welfare Grants from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. The grants are funded by taxpayers who check the donation box for the Animal Welfare Fund on Form 4642, the Voluntary Contributions Schedule, when filing their state taxes.
The state agency has distributed over $1.3 million since the option was rolled out in 2010. This year’s distribution was over $127,000 spread out amongst 23 registered animal shelters. The grants are meant to be used to support spaying and neutering of shelter dogs and cats and to increase the likelihood of the animals being adopted. The funds can also be used to reimburse the costs associated with legal investigations, such as animal hoarding cases or animal abuse.
Humane Societies across the state had to request grants for specific purposes with about half of the applicants receiving funding this year. The Sanilac County Humane Society will receive $7,000 while the St. Clair County Humane Society will receive $6,000.
