MONTGOMERY – The Hudson Valley Animal Shelter Fund, a component fund of the Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan, has distributed grants totaling $16,800 to four organizations dedicated to rescuing, sheltering and defending animals.

2022 Hudson Valley Animal Shelter Grant Recipients

$5,000 to The Animal Rights Alliance, Inc. (T.A.R.A.) for their Veterinary Stainless Steel Cages project, T.A.R.A. is a 501(c)3 organization that provides high volume, low-cost, high-quality spaying, and neutering to effectively curtail euthanasia due to pet overpopulation. They operate both a mobile and a stationary clinic. T.A.R.A. has spayed/neutered over 153,000 cats in our 20 years of operation, as well as over 23,000 dogs in the last eight years at their Middletown, New York stationary clinic.

$5,000 to Dumped & Stray Animal Rescue for Randal’s Place, a retirement village/sanctuary for feral and community cats rescued from the streets of the city of Middletown. The sanctuary was established to provide a safe environment for the many feral cats that resided throughout the city of Middletown, below ground in the sewer pipes and in other areas around the city that were not safe. In cooperation with the City of Middletown, the sanctuary was established.

$5,000 to the Dutchess County SPCA for their Kennel Renovation project.

The Dutchess County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DCSPCA) uses a Human Animal Support Services model to serve as a resource for humans and their companion animals. DCSPCA shelters animals in need and secures permanent homes for adoptable pets. We provide practical and educational resources to the public to advance the highest standards of animal care and help keep pets in their homes. We enforce humane law throughout Dutchess County.

$1,800 to Happy Kitty, Inc. for their Cats of Tusten - 97 South project, a collaborative effort with T.A.R.A.

Happy Kitty Inc. is dedicated to humanely reducing the number of feral and stray cats in Sullivan County, through TNVR (trap/neuter/vaccinate/return), kitten placement, and caretaker assistance and education.

T.A.R.A. will utilize its grant money to purchase new, larger, stainless-steel crates for the animals they treat.

“Thanks to this grant, the animals will be much more comfortable during their stay,” said Stephen Tardif, Vice President and Co-founder of T.A.R.A. “The stainless-steel crates are easier to clean and provide more visibility and room to move around. It all comes down to improved comfort and care for the animals!”

The Hudson Valley Animal Shelter Fund was established in 2015 through a generous bequest from Jean Rowe and will provide financial assistance to nonprofit animal welfare agencies throughout the Hudson Valley in perpetuity. Since inception, nearly $92,000 has been awarded to support a variety of capital and project expenses for several nonprofit animal organizations in the region.

“Jean Rowe was passionate about animal welfare and her commitment to local organizations has been carried on through distribution of grants from her endowment fund since 2015,” said Elizabeth Rowley, President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan. “By establishing The Hudson Valley Animal Shelter Fund, Jean ensured that her charitable wishes will live on to create a legacy of giving.”