Exciting news: we have officially announced the recipients of our 2023 Florida Animal Friends grant award recipients! The selected recipients work directly in support of our mission to help save the lives of countless unwanted cats and dogs by supporting organizations that offer free or low-cost spay and neuter services across the state of Florida.
This year’s round of grant funding proved tremendously successful, with 38 grants being directly awarded to spay and neuter assistance programs in Florida. This is critical because we realize how spaying and neutering reduces pet overpopulation and ultimately, saves the lives of countless dogs and cats that would otherwise be homeless. However, the cost of these procedures can often pose a significant challenge.
You may have seen Florida Animal Friend specialty license plates all over the state of Florida; did you know that we also provide funding for spay and neuter assistance programs across the entire state? In this blog, we are highlighting some of the regional grant recipients who are doing the incredible work of saving pets’ lives through low/no-cost spay and neuter programs.
Before we dive in, a quick thank you goes out to everyone who supports us and helps make our grant program possible by purchasing a license plate. In helping us award grants to these organizations, you also directly help us make a positive impact on the welfare of animals throughout the Sunshine State, which you can read more about below!
Note: the organizations in this blog do not reflect our comprehensive list of grant recipients. To learn more about all of our past grant recipients, please click here.
Florida’s Panhandle:
- Animal Rescue Coalition: With 60% of their operations being funded by donations and grants, Animal Rescue Coalition is able to keep spay and neuter costs affordable (and in some cases, free). They also focus heavily on animal well-being, with the spay package including vaccines, a microchip, nail trim, e-collar and medication.
- Tallahassee’s Animal Shelter Foundation: Since 2007, this Foundation has been distributing spay and neuter vouchers for dogs and cats in need. After many years of working with other organizations to transport animals to other low-cost spay and neuter assistance programs in Florida, they opened Tally Spay in 2021, which is their own low-cost spay and neuter clinic.
Northeast Florida:
- Clay County Humane Society: The area’s oldest and most recognized low-cost program, Clay Humane has more than 30 years of experience in providing affordable/ free spay/neuter services.
- Jacksonville Animal Care and Protective Services: This organization works directly with the city of Jacksonville through the The Spay Jax and Duval Cat Fix programs, providing up to six free surgeries per month for owned or free-roaming community cats.
Central Florida:
- Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando: Pet Alliance provides both no-cost and low-cost spay/neuter options to the community. Their TNVR (Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return) program offers free spay/neuter services that are coordinated by our dedicated staff and trained volunteers.
- Polk County Bully Project: In order to reduce the number of large Bully breed dogs going into animal control (which in turn reduces the euthanasia rates), the Bully Project supports a community voucher program for spay and neuter assistance.
Tampa Bay/Southwest Florida
Pet-overpopulation” program (H.E.L.P.) offers affordable spay and neuter services to residents of Charlotte County. To be eligible, individuals must be residents of Charlotte County and receive assistance from one of the county’s support programs such as food stamps, disability benefits, Medicaid, or qualify as a Disabled American Veteran.
- Gulf Shore Animal League (GSAL): Since its establishment in 2003, GSAL has been dedicated to providing TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) services to their community. They work closely with Manatee County Animal Welfare, Humane Society of Manatee County, and local government agencies, who frequently contact them for assistance with free-roaming cat issues.
South Florida and The Florida Keys:
variety of services to the public at affordable rates, including pet adoption, spay/neuter, TNVR services, a neonatal kitten nursery, Peggy’s Pantry Food Bank, dog behavior and training classes, a lost and found program, foster and volunteer programs, community outreach, and special events.
- Pinellas County Animal Services: Currently offering a voucher program that provides no-cost spay/neuter and vaccines for low-income residents, these services are also extended to citizens who receive public assistance.
- Florida Keys SPCA: The Florida Keys SPCA is the only open-admission welfare organization that serves the middle and lower Keys, with two campuses located in Marathon, FL, and Key West, FL. With a commitment to inclusivity, both campuses accept every animal regardless of their health, species, or temperament.
Again, this is a small footprint of all of the organizations we have supported, and we are proud to provide grants to organizations that help end pet overpopulation, and in turn, ensure a brighter future for all pets.
Do you want to learn more about our grant process for spay and neuter assistance programs in Florida? Read all about our grants right here and stay tuned for the 2024 application to open!