Animal Shelter receives grant

The St. Joseph County Animal Shelter has received a $10,000 grant from a state funding source.
The amount is the most given to 23 recipients in 2016 through the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Animal Industry Division.
The agency annually distributes thousands of donated dollars to animal shelters in Michigan through Animal Welfare Fund grants. This year, the fund will provide approximately $135,000 to 23 registered animal shelters throughout the state.
Since 2010, the Animal Welfare Fund, provided for by tax check-off monies from generous Michigan taxpayers, has distributed more than $967,000 to 131 facilities. The funds go directly to registered shelters to increase the number of adoptions through spay and neuter programs, improve staff knowledge of proper animal care through educational programs and training, and assist shelters with unreimbursed costs of care for animals housed for legal investigations.
This year MDARD received 68 applications totaling over $580,000 in requests.