California for All Animals Distributes $15.5M in Grants in First Year
In accordance with the language set forth in Article 6.4. Animal Shelter Assistance Act, KSMP set out to design a program that provided outreach, in-person assessments, training on current best practices, and grant monies to California city, county, or city and county animal control agencies or shelters, societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals, and humane societies. The language outlined in the Animal Shelter Assistance Act served as a guide for the program and funding design. Best practices and recommendations were grounded in the Association of Shelter Veterinarian’s Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters, of which members of the KSMP were co-authors, as well as the expertise of the team in multiple areas of animal sheltering from veterinary care and surgery to shelter management and marketing. In addition to soliciting feedback from public and private animal shelters within the state, KSMP engaged with other granting organizations and service agencies working in the state and nationally such as Maddie’s Fund, Best Friends Animal Society, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), Michelson Found Animals Foundation, RSO Foundation, California Community Foundation, PetSmart Charities, National Animal Care and Control Association (NACA), Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity (CARE), and Cal Animals. This research and stakeholder input supported the identification of best practices and the development of a strategic plan for the California for All Animals program.
The California for All Animals program publicly launched on February 14, 2022, with concerted marketing and outreach efforts designed to engage shelters in every region of the state that met the goals outlined in the Animal Shelter Assistance Act.
