Well, it was a nail biter. But, the Federation kept the pressure on the NYS Legislature and the Governor’s office. The $5M Companion Animal Capital Fund was included in the last bill of the legislative session.
It was not included in the capital budget passed with the state operating budget on April 1st. That very slim capital budget only included the Governor’s capital projects. It did not include any legislative projects. Since the CACF has always been added by the Assembly and Senate, it was not included in April’s bill. But, we can rest easy. Thanks to the great work of Assemblywoman Deborah Glick and State Senator Monica Martinez, also the chair of the State Senate’s new Domestic Animal Welfare Committee, the grant cycle for capital projects at animal shelters across New York will begin in August.
The RFP will be out on August 20th. There will be a two-month question and answer period. The proposals will be due around November 7th and the awards will be made in mid-December. The NYSAPF Education Fund will be providing grant writing support for our members.