The Humane Society of Statesboro Bulloch County (HSSBC) and Fixing the Boro were recently awarded a grant from the Georgia Department of Agriculture in the total of $40,000 for Bulloch County.
Each grant was awarded separately, with HSSBC receiving $25,000 and Fixing the Boro receiving $15,000.
The grant is part of the Dog and Cat Sterilization Grant Program, which provides financial assistance with sterilization procedures. The Department hopes that grant funds will ease the burden of sterilization procedures and increase the number of dogs and cats sterilized in Georgia.
According to the Georgia Department of Agriculture website, “the Georgia General Assembly created the Dog and Cat Reproductive Sterilization Support Program to help with this problem through the spaying and neutering of dogs and cats. Currently, funds are raised by the sale of 3 dog and cat license plates, the yearly tax check off, and direct donations. In 2014, the Dog and Cat Sterilization Grant program was created. Since the program’s inception, thousands of procedures have been performed by Georgia veterinarians coordinating with grant recipients.”
The grant will enable HSSBC to provide $20 spay/neuter vouchers to qualifying low-income pet owners in Bulloch County. Prior to the grant, they were limited to 30 vouchers a month. The grant allows for almost double that over the next 16 months.
Fixing the Boro's grant enables them to offset or remove the cost of spay/neuter for anyone who needs assistance. Sarah Roehm, Founder of Fixing the Boro shares that if someone reaches out with financial difficulties unable to spay and neuter their pets, they will try to help regardless of income.
Kania Greer, President of the HSSBC says they will start their implementation in August, working to target low income members of the community.
Greer shares, “These are families below the poverty line who are often having to make tough decisions about resources, and they aren't always thinking about animal spaying or neutering.”
The HSSBC can provide them with assistance to get the surgery, helping to prevent overpopulation in our community.
Greer added, “Everyone should be able to have pets, even on low income."
She also expressed the impact the grant could make in our community. For people who don't qualify for the HSSBC voucher program, they can go to Fixing the Boro and potentially receive assistance.
The Humane Society and Fixing the Boro both provide a valuable and crucial service to Bulloch County. Both organizations are working toward the same common goal of spay/neuter, safe adoptions, and better welfare for animals. Roehm and Greer are both eager and excited to start work within our community, made possible by the grant.
For information on vouchers for low-income residents of Bulloch County, visit the HSSBC website here, and for information on Fixing the Boro, visit their website here.
For more information on the grant program, you can visit the Georgia Department of Agriculture website here.