"The views of the organizations linked here are not necessarily the views of Ryan Newman or the Ryan Newman Foundation. We respect that people are unique individuals and differ in their opinions about various aspects of animal welfare. The topic of companion animal welfare is diverse and complex. If you would like more information or resources concerning animal welfare, you may wish to visit the websites below."

Companion Animals

The Ryan Newman Foundation gives special consideration to nonprofit animal welfare organizations that reach out to rural communities in their region or state that do not have no-kill animal shelters or spay/neuter clinics. The foundation encourages progressive, established animal welfare organizations and spay/neuter clinics to go outside of their own community to serve rural, inner city or otherwise financially challenged communities that lack the resources to provide their own no-kill animal shelters or spay/neuter clinics.

Every year in the United States an estimated 5 million animals lose their lives in shelters because they are homeless. That is one pet life lost every 6.5 seconds. The pet overpopulation epidemic is so staggering that for every animal born in the United States to have a home each and every humane being would have to own 6 dogs and 9 cats. So, in actuality a family of four…2 parents and 2 small children would have to own 24 dogs and 36 cats. I t costs U.S. taxpayers and estimated 2 billion each year to round up, house, kill and dispose of homeless animals.

Spay/Neuter Programs are the Key to Reducing Pet Overpopulation and Euthanasia

Every day in the US thousands of unwanted puppies and kittens are born. Of the 6 to 8 million dogs and cats that enter US shelters every year, 3 to 4 million of them are euthanized because there are not enough homes for them all. The only proven way to reduce animal overpopulation and therefore reduce the number of animals euthanized in this country annually is through public low-cost spay/neuter programs.

Ryan and Krissie Newman are proud to serve as spokespeople for the National Spay/Neuter Response Team (NSNRT). NSNRT is an initiative by the Humane Alliance spay/neuter clinic in Asheville, North Carolina to help nonprofit organizations establish public, low-cost spay/neuter clinics across the country using the Humane Alliance model. Humane Alliance operates a high-volume spay/neuter clinic in Asheville that has sterilized 150,000 animals since its inception 12 years ago and reduced the euthanasia rate in their community by an astounding 82%! The numbers prove that their spay/neuter clinic model works, which is why the started the NSNRT.

Through their NSNRT initiative, the Humane Alliance has already helped groups across the country begin operations for 12 model clinics in just one year. The NSNRT sends in groups of trained vets and techs around the country to help nonprofit organizations open spay/neuter clinics using the Humane Alliance model. The nonprofit organization first spends a week with their entire staff in Asheville at the Humane Alliance clinic, and then the Asheville staff comes back with them to their hometown for two weeks to help them open their clinic.

In this country tax-payers spend $1 billion dollars annually to pick up, house, and euthanize homeless animals. If only 5% of that total were allocated to spay/neuter programs, we could open 250 public, low-cost spay/neuter clinics across the country and sterilize more than $4 million animals each year.

One clinic that is slated to open in 2007 is the Ryan Newman Foundation Spay/Neuter Clinic at the Humane Society of Catawba County’s multipurpose animal welfare facility that is being constructed this year. The Ryan Newman Foundation pledged a donation of $400,000 to build the clinic, which will serve eight counties in the heart of NASCAR country in North Carolina. (Pit Road Pets is helping fund the new facility.)

The Newmans believe that in order to make a difference in the world, you have to start in your own community. So the Ryan Newman Foundation is funding the building of this spay/neuter clinic in North Carolina while working nationally with the National Spay/Neuter Response Team to help them open other clinics across the nation to stop the animal overpopulation epidemic.

Krissie Newman traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana to christen the Big Fix Rig, a 53-foot mobile spay/neuter clinic sent to the Gulf Coast by the Humane Alliance in July 2006. To read about Krissie's participation, click here.

Spay/Neuter Links

• "Why Should I Spay/Neuter My Pet?
  Click here to read the benefits. Visit Spay USA at www.spayusa.org for more information.
• Looking for a Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Clinic in Your Community?
  Click here to search for a clinic in your area from the Spay USA website or click here to search from the Love That Cat website.
• Big Fix Rig
  For more information about the Big Fix Rig, click here.
• National Spay/Neuter Response Team
  If you are a nonprofit organization interested in starting your own spay/neuter clinic and want help from the National Spay/Neuter Response Team, click here.

Funding for Companion Animal Rescue Groups, Animal Shelters and Spay/Neuter Clinics

Funds have already been allocated for 2006. The Ryan Newman Foundation is not accepting unsolicited grant requests at this time. However, we can provide you with the following list of grants that are open to nonprofit animal welfare organizations.

• Animal Welfare RFP Bulletin:   This is the Foundation Centers Bulletin on grants available to animal welfare. List of several funding agencies.
• DJ&T Foundation: Founded in 1995 by Bob Barker, well-known television host with the goal to fund low-cost spay and neuter programs. The DJ & T Foundation awards two types of grants. They are (1) Spay/Neuter Clinic grants and (2) Spay/Neuter Assistance Program (SNAP) Grants.
• The Petco Foundation: The PETCO Foundation's mission is to support community organizations and efforts that enhance the lives of companion animals while strengthening the bond between people and pets. The PETCO Foundation encourages Applications for Support from any 501(c)(3) organization that fulfills one or more of the Four Rs--Reduce, Rescue, Rehabilitate, Rejoice.
• PetSmart Charities: PETsMART Charities mission is to improve the quality of life for all companion animals through programs that save the lives of homeless pets and promote healthy relationships between people and pets. PETsMART Charities Grant Program provides limited financial assistance to fund innovative programs, with measurable results, that help accomplish the mission. Program Areas of Interest include Spay/Neuter Programs
• Maddie's Fund: Guided by its mission to revolutionize the status and well-being of companion animals, Maddie's Fund is devoting its resources to help make the United States a "no-kill nation." To that end, Maddie's Fund seeks to support local coalitions that combine the talents and resources of adoption guarantee organizations, animal-control agencies, and traditional shelters to end the killing of healthy and treatable shelter dogs and cats in their communities within ten years.
• Banfield Charitable Trust: The Portland, Oregon-based Banfield Charitable Trust, a nonprofit organization affiliated with Banfield, the Pet Hospital, is offering grants to organizations that make life better for pets and their families. Special consideration will be given to collaborative projects with pet-related organizations and Banfield hospitals working together toward a shared goal.
• Build-A-Bear Workshop: Build-a-Bear accepts grant applications from domestic pet programs across the United States and Canada. With funds generated through the sale of the retail stuffed toy company's Bearemy's Kennel Pals, the grant program provides support to domestic pet programs, including local animal shelters, stray pet rescue, and rehabilitation organizations and pet education programs. The Bearemy's Kennel Pals grant program began awarding funds in 2004, and has distributed approximately $515,000 to date.
• Animal Welfare Trust: Founded in January of 2001, ANIMAL WELFARE TRUST operates as a 501(C)(3) private operating foundation devoted to promoting the well being of the animal community. Among our guiding values is the belief that animals have rights to experience a life of respect, free from unnecessary suffering.
• Meacham Foundation Memorial Grant: Funds capital campaigns, building improvements, and equipment purchases that directly affect the welfare of animals in shelters. Grants may be up to $4,000. Applicants must be a supporting member of American Humane and incorporated as a 501(c) 3 nonprofit agency.
• American Humane Association Second Chance Fund: The Second Chance Fund is set up to give animal victims of abuse or neglect a second chance at life. Financial assistance is provided, in select cases, to animal welfare organizations responsible for the temporary care of animals as they are prepared for adoption into permanent, loving homes. Funding to any one agency is limited to $2,000 per fiscal year. Only member animal sheltering agencies (private or public) are considered for the Second Chance Fund. Individuals, businesses, corporations, and non-member organizations are not provided for in the guidelines of the fund. Follow the link to download an application and see cases that have already been funded.
• HUD's Community Development Block Grants: CDBG provides eligible metropolitan cities and urban counties (called "entitlement communities") with annual direct grants that they can use to revitalize neighborhoods, expand affordable housing and economic opportunities, and/or improve community facilities and services, principally to benefit low- and moderate-income persons.  This has included spay/neuter programs for low-income families in the past.
• USDA Grants for Small Communities: Community Facility loans and grants are made to build or improve essential public facilities in areas or towns of not more than 20,000 population. Eligible applicants include federally recognized Indian tribes, government or non-profit organizations. They have funded spay/neuter programs in the past. For further information contact www.usda.gov, and find the state program for rural housing service in your state to find community facility programs and the contact person for your state.
• 2006 Grant and Program Sources: A list from Shelter Source of grants for animal welfare also grant writing help.

Attention
Companion Animal Welfare Professionals, Board Members and Volunteers,

Since the Ryan Newman Foundation was founded by Ryan and Krissie Newman in January 2005 we have made a lot of friends across the country in the animal welfare world. I often come across resources that may be helpful for your organization that I would like to pass along to you via email. Information may include:

• Funding opportunities from other grant making organizations
• Conferences, workshops and free webinars concerning fundraising, spay/neuter programs, sheltering, animal welfare, etc.
• Media opportunities for your animal welfare organization (like the HSUS Spay Day press release and print ad, web ad featuring racecar drivers Ryan Newman, Greg Biffle and Ken Schrader)
• Opportunities to receive in-kind donations of bed supplies (treats, toys, dog beds, pet food, collars, leashes, etc.)
• We have started a program through our Raiser's Edge Net Solutions software to disseminate this information to you is by creating a special targeted emailing list. Most of the information I will share through this particular distribution list is nationwide. Other times the information may pertain to those primarily in North Carolina or the South.

If you wish to receive RNF Email Alerts for Animal Welfare Friends please follow the following steps:

1. Click Join Our Foundation Mailing List on the Email Alerts web page: http://www.ryannewmanfoundation.org/email.htm
2. Complete the Registration Information and be sure to include the name of your organization in the Company Name field.
3. Enter a Login ID and Password
4. Check the box that asks "Do you want to sign up for Animal Welfare Emails? (Only for nonprofit animal welfare organizations' volunteers & staff)"

On behalf of Ryan and Krissie Newman and the Ryan Newman Foundation, I want to thank you all for the work you do for the animals. You are making our world a better place for people and pets!