Governor Andrew M. Cuomo recently announced 14 animal shelters and humane societies across the state have been awarded funding through the New York State Companion Animal Capital Fund totaling nearly $5 million. The Companion Animal Capital Fund is the first state-funded program in the nation to support critical improvement projects at New York shelters. It allows these organizations to make significant updates to their facilities to enhance animal care and health, and help ensure adoptions for dogs and cats.

"New York's animal shelters perform critical services in communities across this great state," Governor Cuomo said. "This funding will better equip these facilities and help improve quality care, as these shelters continue to strive to find dogs and cats under their care a permanent, loving home."

"The test of whether a society is civilized and just is how it cares for its most vulnerable," said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul. "This funding will help animal shelters across the state care for dogs and cats while they embark on new beginnings."

Funded in the 2017-18 New York State Budget, the Companion Animal Capital Fund provides matching grants to offset the costs associated with capital projects such as renovating dog kennels, improving medical facilities, or building more efficient shelters to reduce the cost of operation. Funds can also be used to construct, renovate, rehab, or acquire buildings or equipment needed to house, treat, and care for sheltered dogs and cats.

Competitive grants were awarded to shelters based on need and the readiness of projects. The following shelters are receiving an award:

Capital Region

• Animal Protective Foundation (Scotia, Schenectady County): $220,867to support the construction of a new feline care center to create group housing environments, to improve medical facilities, and to support the renovation of the current shelter, including a new heating/cooling system for improved ventilation.

Western New York

• SPCA in Cattaraugus County (Olean, Cattaraugus County): $164,436for the renovation of the current shelter. The project includes the installation of a new heating/cooling system for improved ventilation and weatherization. The shelter will also create a more welcoming adoption environment.
• Town of West Seneca Municipal Shelter (West Seneca, Erie County): $119,775for the renovation of the current shelter. The project includes covered kennels and a roof replacement and extension.

Mohawk Valley

• Herkimer County Humane Society (Mohawk, Herkimer County): $500,000 for the renovation of the current shelter.The project includes the installation of a new heating/cooling system to improve ventilation, the renovation of animal rooms, and the replacement of cages and kennels to improve safety and quality of life.
• Humane Society of Rome (Rome, Oneida County): $500,000 for the construction of a new animal shelter to replace the current structure. The project includes replacing a 50-year-old facility to improve living conditions and increase capacity. It will also allow for a new ventilation system and the addition of isolation space to improve disease control.
• Susquehanna SPCA (Cooperstown, Otsego County): $500,000 for the construction of anew animal shelter to replace the current structure. The project includes building a new facility on adjacent land to decrease the flooding risk and to allow for the addition of an adoption counseling area.

Long Island

• Town of Islip Municipal Shelter (Islip, Suffolk County): $498,200for the construction of a new animal shelter to replace the current structure. The new shelter will replace the 54-year-old current building to increase capacity and improve safety. It also includes the addition of a new surgical suite.
• Town of Smithtown Municipal Shelter (Hicksville, Nassau County): $168,750 for the construction of an addition to the current shelter.The project includes the construction of a new building to house intake of animals, isolation, and trap-neuter-return areas.

Mid-Hudson Valley

• Humane Society of Middletown (Middletown, Orange County): $439,000 for theconstruction of an addition and renovation of the current shelter. The project includes the construction of a new wing with quarantine and treatment areas and expanded animal housing areas to increase capacity.
• SPCA of Westchester (Briarcliff Manor, Westchester County): $500,000 for theconstruction of a new animal shelter to replace the current structure. The project will consolidate several buildings into a single, modern facility to modernize care.

Central New York

• City of Oswego Municipal Shelter (Oswego, Oswego County): $489,375 for theconstruction of an addition and renovation of the current shelter. The project will weatherize the existing facility and expand quarantine areas to improve disease control.

North Country

• Potsdam Humane Society (Potsdam, St. Lawrence County): $178,895for theconstruction of an addition and renovation of the current shelter. The project will replace heating/cooling units for ventilation improvements, make repairs and modifications to kennels, and install sound-reduction materials. It will also include the construction of a detached building for long-term shelter animals to improve daily life.

Finger Lakes

• Humane Society of Rochester and Monroe County DBA Lollypop Farm (Fairport, Monroe County): $500,000 for the renovation of the current shelter. The project will add sound-absorbing panels to the dog-holding area and a new heating/cooling system for proper ventilation.
• Wyoming County Animal Control (Warsaw, Wyoming County): $100,000 for the renovation of the current shelter. The project includes the addition of new kennels to increase safety, comfort, and capacity; a new heating/cooling system to improve heating, ventilation, and air quality; and renovations to improve infection control and daily life for the animals.

According to the New York State Animal Protection Federation, more than 150,000 animals annually are brought to non-profit and municipality-run shelters and humane societies. The NYS Companion Animal Capital Fund will help these organizations continue to provide sheltering services to local communities, promote better care for the animals and facilitate more adoptions.

State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, "This funding will allow New York's shelters, humane societies and SPCAs to make much-needed improvements to provide better care for New York's animals, whether it be construction, renovation, or expansion. As these projects are completed, they will support our collective goal of connecting many more dogs and cats to New York families."

Senator Phil Boyle said, "I am pleased that this funding will help our rescues and shelters upgrade their facilities to provide safe, temporary housing for the many rescued dogs and cats waiting for forever homes. I thank Governor Cuomo for including funding for the Companion Animal Capital Fund in the 2017-18 Budget and will continue my efforts to see that this funding is made available to nonprofit and municipal animal shelters in the future."

Assemblymember Deborah Glick said, "Animal shelters across New York do an incredible job of caring for animals and find them loving homes. As more shelters adopt no-kill policies, their need for more kennel space and improved medical facilities has grown. This funding is key to ensuring compassionate care for New York's companion animals."

Libby Post, Executive Director of the New York State Animal Protection Federation, said, "We are absolutely thrilled by the number of grant applications that have been awarded. There was a strong response to this program from New York's shelters and humane societies, and the applications far outweighed the availability of funding. This underscores the critical need for the New York State Companion Animal Capital Fund to be once again included in the New York State Budget."

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets administers the New York State Companion Animal Capital Fund. The Department, through its various divisions and programs, promotes New York agriculture and its high-quality and diverse products, fosters agricultural environmental stewardship, safeguards the State's food supply, land, plants, livestock and companion animals, and ensures consumer protection through its weights and measures and food safety divisions.

The Department operates the Great New York State Fair, and administers the Taste NY initiative, the FreshConnect and New York State Grown and Certified programs.