$700K from companion animal fund will support projects to alleviate animal shelter crisis

Recently, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced $7.6 million in awards to animal shelters across New York State.

According to a press release, a total of $700,000 will be utilized for innovative partnerships between the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society, the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, and the City of Schenectady. Here in the Capital Region, housing for strays has reached a crisis level.

“With a more than 38% increase in stray and seized dogs in the first quarter of this year, this funding comes at a critical time for our community. We’re extremely grateful to our partners who have been working with us on plans to increase sheltering capacity, as well as to Governor Hochul for the funding to make it happen,” Humane Society CEO Ashley Jeffrey Bouck said in a press release.

A grant of $500,000 is awarded to Albany County Sherriff’s Office to create an auxiliary animal shelter in partnership with the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society. Dogs in protective custody from cruelty, neglect, and other criminal cases will now have an extra layer of protection, more space, and more one-onone time with staff. The facility will include 12 large, long-term housing kennels for dogs that are part of court cases. There will also be indoor and outdoor enrichment pens, an animal kitchen, laundry, and administrative space. MHHS will provide staff training.

“We began exploring ways to help alleviate the dog overpopulation crisis last year,” Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple remarked. “Based on the success of our past partnerships with MHHS, notably the S.T.A.R. program which gave model inmates the chance to live with and train dogs, we knew we could come up with a meaningful way to provide more lifesaving kennel space using shared resources and expertise.”