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Grant ID:
1755
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Central Brevard Cat Sterilization Project |
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Non-Profit |
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$25,000.00 |
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Central Brevard Humane Society |
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Application Information |
Demographics
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Central Brevard Humane Society
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www.brevardhumanesociety.org
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Theresa Clifton
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Executive Director
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[email protected]
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Theresa Clifton
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[email protected]
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1020 Cox Road
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Cocoa
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FL
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32926
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321-636-3343
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321-636-0127
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321-302-4828
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Agency Details
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04/07/1981
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Begin:
07/01/16
End:
06/30/17
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$2,055,407.00
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$1,946,293.00
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Full Time:
25
Part Time:
29
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300
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250.00
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Previous grant applications.
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| Years Funded: 2014, 2016 Year(s) denied/incomplete:
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| Grant # | Proposal Year | Proposal Title | Status |
| 117 | 2009 | Public low cost spay/neuter services to reduce the number of unwanted pets in our community | Denied |
| 165 | 2010 | Targeted Spay/Neuter Grant | Denied |
| 1410 | 2014 | Central Brevard Cat Sterilization Program | Funded |
| 1606 | 2006 | | Denied |
| 1635 | 2016 | Central Brevard Cat Sterilization Program | Funded |
| 1755 | 2018 | Central Brevard Cat Sterilization Project | Funded |
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Describe your Organization:
Applicant Qualifications
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For your organization, in the last complete fiscal year:
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707
cats and
786
dogs were admitted.
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605
cats and 592
dogs were adopted. |
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72
cats and 4
dogs were euthanized. |
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361
cats and 309
dogs were sterilized. |
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Briefly describe your animal programs:
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If your program performs adoptions, are all animals sterilized before adoption?
Yes
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If not all, what percentage of animals are not currently sterilized before adoption?
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If not all, how are animals selected for sterilization before adoption?
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If not all, describe your sterilization policies and procedures for assuring sterilization
after adoption:
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Give additional background information on your organization's programs as they relate
to this application and the qualifications of the personnel who will be in charge
of this program. Show that you have the ability to carry out this program.
CBHS has the expertise and capacity to perform the number of surgeries we are proposing. CBHS has been in operation in Brevard County since 1952. In 2009, a modern clinic (including a fully-equipped operating room) was constructed to provide low-cost routine medical care, with an emphasis on spay/neuter services, for the shelter pets and those in the community. Currently, we perform spay/neuter surgeries two (2) days per week (Tuesday and Thursday), along with wellness on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday to ensure access to low-cost vaccinations and other health-care services for pets. In 2016, we performed 2,506 spay/neuter surgeries (877 dogs and 1,629 cats). In spite of these numbers and the greatly reduced fees, the clinic is not fully utilized, and we would like to take advantage of the excess capacity to participate in this spay/neuter project for the underserved, low-income population in our community. Currently, the clinic is closed on Sunday, but we are prepared to open on Sunday to perform this grant project’s surgeries, if needed. Our project will fund approximately 1,136 surgeries, with an average of 25 surgeries per week. CBHS is accustomed to performing up to 30 surgeries per day, so the proposed schedule can accommodate our project under the current operating timeframes. However, if needed, we are also prepared to perform this project’s surgeries on additional days of the week. The surgeries will be performed by CBHS’s part-time staff veterinarian, Dr. Zenaida Agrait-Rodriguez, License #7180 (with 22 years of experience), assisted by Lead Veterinary Technician, Jacqueline Hobbs (with 4 years of experience) and Veterinary Technician, Ashley Sylvia (with 4 years of experience). If additional veterinarian assistance becomes necessary, CBHS has a second qualified staff veterinarian, Dr. Richard Thornton. Overseeing this project at CBHS will be Executive Director, Theresa Clifton, who has extensive feline knowledge and experience, has served on multiple County and community boards concerned with animals, and has served CBHS for 14 years (including Board of Directors; 2 years as President). CBHS Shelter Manager, Robin Ruhe (with over 30 years of experience in the animal welfare field), will perform all administrative aspects of this grant project, including providing the phone number for inquiries, qualifying participants, monitoring the project’s progress, and preparing all grant-required reports and paperwork.
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If you currently have a program for sterilization of cats and/or dogs, describe
your current level of funding and productivity and why additional resources are
needed?
CBHS offers low-cost spay/neuter services to all clients. Our current funding comes from revenue generated through our Clinic services, product services, adoption fees, retail sales from our four (4) thrift stores, and donations. The purpose of our grant request is to reach out to low-income families in the target area who cannot afford the cost, even at discounted rates, to continue in our goal of a no-kill community.
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Target Population |
Geographical target area (name of city, county, zip codes, geographical Information service (GIS), etc.):
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32922, 32923, 32926 |
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Total human population in target area:
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18,102 |
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Percent of residents living below poverty in target area:
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26.8 |
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Estimated number of pet cats in target area (human population divided by 3.3):
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5486 |
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Estimated number of pet dogs in target area (human population divided by 4.0):
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4526 |
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Estimated number of feral cats in target area (human population divided by 6.0):
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3017 |
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Number of cats admitted to animal control shelters in the target area last year
(if known) |
2,952 |
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Number of dogs admitted to animal control shelters in the target area last year
(if known) |
2,279 |
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Number of cats euthanized in animal control shelters in the target area last year
(if known) |
168 |
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Number of dogs euthanized in animal control shelters in the target area last year
(if known) |
86 |
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Please explain if you believe your target area animal population is significantly
different than above.
We believe that the cat population in our target area is significantly greater than the standard statistics indicate. These statistics show an estimated 8,500 cats in the target area. A total of 707 cats (8% of the standard estimated total) were admitted to our shelter from the target area in 2017. It is unlikely that CBHS is admitting 8% of the area’s total cats in one year. Further, the standard statistics indicate that all of Brevard County 580,000 (2016 estimate) has 175,757 cats. The total number of cats admitted to Brevard County Animal Services in 2016 (2,952) constitutes less than 1% of this county-wide standard estimate. The conclusion that CBHS admitted 8% of all cats in the target area and Brevard County Animals Services admitted less than 1% of all cats in Brevard County, suggests that either there is a larger cat population in the target area than the standard estimate, or the admission rate of cats from the target area is substantially higher than County-wide rate. Either way, there is a problem that needs to be fixed. |
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Please explain what you believe are the most substantial sources of dog and cat
overpopulation in the target area:
We believe the free-roaming, unaltered dogs (pets and strays from low-income families who cannot afford the normal cost of sterilization surgery) are the most substantial source of dog overpopulation in the target area; and free-roaming, unaltered cats (both pets from low-income families and community cats) are the most substantial source of cat overpopulation. The significance of unaltered strays is illustrated by the fact that last year 84% of our intake was from stray animals, approximately 87% which were unaltered. |
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What kinds of spay/neuter services are currently available in the target area
and in what ways are these resources currently insufficient to meet community needs?
Brevard County is 72 miles long. Most spay/neuter surgeries throughout the County are performed by private-practice veterinarians who charge full fees for their services. These resources are insufficient, because the poor economy and the many layoffs throughout the County (including thousands at Kennedy Space Center) prevent many residents from affording those fees. In Central Brevard, CBHS is the only substantial provider of low-cost surgeries. (two non-profits – Animal Guardians of Brevard and Space Coast Feline Network – use these low-cost providers to perform surgeries at a reduced rate for their clients.) A small nonprofit – United Humanitarians – is also a low-cost provider in Cocoa, but they have a very small facility, are open only a few days a week to perform a limited number of surgeries, and do not have the resources to expand their program or facility. This project’s target area includes the City of Cocoa (Central Brevard) which has Brevard County’s largest population of poverty-level residents. The spay/neuter services in this area are insufficient, because many of these low-income residents (or no-income residents) cannot afford even CBHS’s greatly reduced fees ($14 for male cats and $30 for female cats). This has been demonstrated by CBHS’s phone log, which documents approximately 20 calls per day (including calls from feral cat caregivers) requesting even lower fees from CBHS. The under-utilization of CBHS’s clinic attests to the impact today’s economy and job market are having on people’s ability to afford to sterilize their companion animals. |
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Florida Animal Friend is highly supportive of proposals that are focused on
animal populations that are identified as substantial sources of dog or cat overpopulation
rather than being diluted over too broad of a geographic area or diverse animal
populations. Describe the specific target animal population of the spay/neuter project
proposed for this grant:
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TNR Managed Colony Feral Cat Program/Community Cats (Free-Roaming and/or Owned) Program
Define the precise boundaries of the colony or targeted area, including estimate of square miles.
NA
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What is the criteria used for determining the target area(s) and/or eligibility for this program?
NA
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Describe whether the targeted area is rural, suburban, or urban. Is it commercial, residential, agricultural, or a designated special land use?
NA
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Estimated number of cats in the target colony area
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0
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Estimated number that are currently sterilized: 0
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Projected reduction after utilizing the grant: 0
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For TNR program, describe the ability to maintain lifelong care for remaining cats, commitment level of volunteers/organizations, etc.
NA
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Do current city/county ordinances address TNR or free-roaming cats?
Yes
Please explain what is allowed:
NA
(NOTE: FAF will not fund any program this is inconsistent with local ordinances.) |
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For TNR program, list any groups or government agencies who support this TNR effort:
NA
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Describe any effort to lessen the negative impact on local wildlife.
NA
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Describe efforts that will be made to mitigate current or potential nuisance issues.
NA
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Will the cats be ear-tipped?
Yes
Will the cats be microchipped?
No
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Provide any additional information that will help the grant selection
committee understand how this program will operate to achieve its goals.
NA
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Objectives |
What do you hope to accomplish with these funds (objectives should be specific
and quantifiable)?
The requested grant funds will sterilize approximately 1,136 cats belonging to (or for community cats tended by) low-income residents of Cocoa and the nearby area. The charge for each surgery will be $14 for male cats and $30 for female cats. In addition, since cats are such prolific breeders, this large number of sterilizations has the potential to prevent thousands of unwanted cats from arriving at our shelter in the coming years. This in turn will help us achieve the County’s goal (established by resolution in 2009) of becoming a no-kill County. The biggest obstacle to this goal is the unmanageable number of unwanted animals arriving at our shelters, with cat overpopulation being the biggest problem. This problem is further compounded by the increasing numbers of low-income residents who are unable to afford the cost of sterilizing their pet cats or the feral cats they tend. Job losses, including thousands of layoffs at the Kennedy Space Center due to the phase out of NASA’s Space Program, and the ripple effect of those losses throughout the local economy, are exacerbating this problem. According to the 2016 census, 14.7% of all Brevard County residents were living below the poverty level, while 26.8% of all target area residents were living below the poverty level. This is a significant increase from the 2000 census, in which 24.1% of all target area residents were living in poverty. |
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How does this program increase the number of sterilization surgeries above the
existing baseline?
This program will increase the current utilization of CBHS’s clinic (the existing baseline (by providing approximately 1,136 sterilization surgeries (for pet cost of low-income residents and community cats) that would not otherwise be performed. The publicity which will be generated for this program will increase awareness of the need for low-cost spay/neuter surgeries, thereby increasing donations to our facility to keep a strong spay/neuter program going after the grant funds have been expended. |
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Methods |
What criteria will you use to determine eligibility for your program?
Eligible applicants will be required to provide proof that they receive some form of public assistance (e.g.; subsidized housing, food stamps, SSI, Medicaid, etc.) or have an income at or below the poverty level published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (at www.cms.gov). In addition, others will also be considered who can demonstrate that they have lost their jobs and have been unable to find employment. |
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How will you advertise the program? Explain how the advertising will reach the target
audience.
To reach the target audience, CBHS will advertise in areas frequented by low-income residents. This means that they will put up posters and fliers at CBHS’s shelter, clinic, Merritt Island adoption center, and four thrift stores. CBHS will also promote the program at their various events; run repeated public service announcements on local TV and radio stations, including FM 99.3 where the Executive Director will promote the program during her bi-weekly interviews; issue press releases to local publications (e.g.; Florida Today, Pet Gazette, Hometown News); create a brochure about this program which will be distributed to all animal shelters in the County and at the numerous pet events which are conducted throughout the County by shelters, rescue organizations, and other animal groups; promote the program in CBHS’s weekly email newsletter, and on the website and social media pages; and other animal organizations in the County, with email notification of this program to their memberships; and promote the program on any other appropriate location or event which may arise. We will not be shy about advertising this program. |
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How will you address barriers to full use of the program such as transportation,
illiteracy, and cultural hurdles?
We do not anticipate that transportation will be an issue, since the CBHS clinic is located within the target area and is easily accessible from all major roadways in the area. We also anticipate no literacy or cultural hurdles, since CBHS has a staff member and several volunteers who can communicate in Spanish and assist with paperwork if needed. |
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Does this project involve the transportation of animals by someone other than
the client? If so, describe the vehicles, methods for confinement, personnel training,
liability releases used to assure the safety of the animals and handlers.
No, this project does not involve the transportation of animals by someone other than the client. |
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Veterinary Services |
What arrangements have you made with veterinarians to perform the surgeries?
We have two in-house veterinarians on-site.
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Veterinary Practices
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Fee Range
What is the fee range to be paid for spay and neuter and what is the distribution
to be paid by the client vs. the grant program? Keep in mind that Florida Animal
Friend grant funds may only be used for costs directly associated with sterilization
surgery (including anesthesia and pain control) and not for other items such as
vaccines, testing, licensing, and capital purchases.
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Please check each item below to indicate additional services offered at the time
of surgery, whether the client is required to pay for them, and if so what the fee
is. For example, if an examination is required for surgery but is not charged to
the client it would be marked: Required
Yes, Fee to client
No
None of the anticipated grant funds can be used for any of the above services, except for pain medication.
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If necessary, please explain the procedures and fees described above:
To help ensure the highest-quality healthcare to their patients, CBHS requires a physical examination prior to surgery and current rabies vaccination on file; there is no charge to the client for either of these (CBHS will absorb all costs not borne by the client or covered by this grant). Ear tipping is performed only on feral cats, without charge to the client. Licensing is required by Brevard County Animal Services only, but is not a requirement for spay/neuter, therefore, there is no charge from CBHS. In addition, there is no additional charge to the client for sterilization of a pregnant or cryptorchid cat.
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Is this a voucher program?
No
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If so, how will you assure compliance with the program?
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For your voucher program, how have you determined the capacity of the veterinarians listed above to handle the projected capacity?
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Will you have the ability to report the number of vouchers issued and the percentage that result in S/N surgeries?
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Other Information |
Provide any additional information that will help the grant selection committee
understand how the program will operate to achieve its goals.
This project will be heavily promoted from its inception to ensure that all proposed surgeries are accomplished before the end of the grant period. After six months, if the number of completed and scheduled surgeries is not on track to fully accomplish the project, we will expand the target area to include additional low-income locations. We recognize that we are proposing a large project, but we are confident that CBHS can successfully complete it. The CBHS would like this project to continue its efforts toward fixing our County’s pet overpopulation problem; but we need financial help to do so. We are prepared and eager to conduct this project and demonstrate that we can maximize the effectiveness of FAF’s grant funds as we have in a prior year. |
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Budget |
Total number of sterilization surgeries projected:
Cats:
1136
Dogs: 0
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Total budget requested (Budget should not exceed $25,000):
$25,000.00
Average cost/surgery projected:
$23.00
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Describe any expenses that are not included in the grant and how they will be paid for (for example, vaccines, microchipping, ear notching, etc.):
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Describe any other funding sources for this program, i.e. other grants, targeted fundraising efforts, budget allocation, etc.
CBHS has already established a “Spay it Forward” program that we now ask clients to donate $1.00 to help those who cannot afford it. In addition, since 2006 this fund has provided CBHS with an annual stipend up to $3,000 that CBHS will use towards this continued spay/neuter program.
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What percent of the total cost of the program would this projected grant cover?
95%
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Timeline |
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All projects must be completed within 12 months of receipt of funding. |
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Projected start date:
09/01/18/
Projected end date:
08/31/19 |
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Unexpended funds
Any unexpended funds must be refunded to Florida Animal Friend within 30 days of the end of the project.
Requests for extensions
Requests for time extensions are discouraged and not often granted. If it is imperative to request an extension, such request must be made in writing at least 30 days prior to the end of the project. It is FAF’s policy to seldom grant more than a 30-60 day extension.
Failure to submit reports and requests within the required time period will impact your agency’s future grant applications. |
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Future Funding to Sustain Public Spay/Neuter |
*Explain how the organization plans to fund this program in the future. Having sustainable plans
including other grants, local donations and other services generating revenue enhances the chances of receiving this grant.
CBHS will continue to offer low-cost spay/neuter services to the target area. In addition, CBHS will continue soliciting donations from the general public through our Spay it Forward program, and seek other grants to offer free spay/neutering. |
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Promotion of Florida Animal Friend Spay/Neuter License Plate |
*Applicants selected for funding are expected to publicize their grant in support of their spay/neuter program and promote the sale of the Animal Friend license plate via press releases, newsletters, website links, social media, etc. Please describe your plan to promote the Florida Animal Friend Spay/Neuter License Plate. Grantees are required to submit documentation of promotional endeavors with their final report.
All promotional materials and advertising for this grant project (delineated in a previous question) will identify both the FAF grant and the FAF Spay/Neuter License Plate. This will include all written materials, oral presentations, media mentions (including newspaper, radio, and television), and the CBHS website and social media pages, the four (4) Molly Mutt Thrift Stores and any other local animal organizations willing to promote spay/neuter in this manner. The CBHS website will also provide a link to FAF’s website. Numerous CBHS staff members and volunteers already proudly display this license plate on their cars.
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