Greece Animal Services secures $34,400 grant from the ASPCA to strengthen animal care and implement new shelter standards

Greece, New York – A significant boost is on the way for animal welfare efforts in the Town of Greece, New York. Greece Animal Services has been awarded a $34,400 grant from ASPCA, funding that will directly support the implementation of updated shelter standards recently adopted across the state. The grant arrives as animal shelters throughout New York State adjust to new regulatory requirements that took effect in December 2025.

For the local animal services team, the funding represents far more than just financial assistance. It provides the resources needed to expand veterinary care and health protections for animals entering the town’s shelter. Many of these animals arrive with unknown medical histories or in need of immediate attention, making early care critical to their well-being.

The new shelter standards introduced statewide emphasize stronger health safeguards and improved conditions for animals while they await reunification with owners or placement into new homes. Greece Animal Services plans to direct the grant toward essential services that protect animals during their time in the facility.

These services include vaccinations, parasite treatment, pain management, and veterinary oversight for animals in the shelter’s care. Funds will also cover pre-adoption spaying and neutering, along with medical care delivered both on-site and through partner veterinary clinics.

Town officials say the funding will play an important role in ensuring the new standards are fully met while maintaining a high level of care for the animals that come through the shelter’s doors.

“We are thrilled that Greece Animal Services has received this generous grant from the ASPCA,” said Supervisor McCann. “These funds will help us implement new shelter standards, ensuring that every animal in our care receives the highest level of safety, comfort, and well-being. This is a meaningful investment in the welfare of our community’s pets, and we are grateful for the ASPCA’s support.”

With the grant in place, the shelter will be able to administer a full range of essential vaccines for animals entering the facility. Core vaccines include rabies protection, canine DAPP and Bordetella vaccines for dogs, and the feline RCP vaccine for cats. Deworming treatments and parasite prevention will also be provided to animals that require them.

Veterinary services remain a central component of the grant-funded program. Animals admitted to the shelter will receive medical evaluations, treatment for injuries or illnesses, and support to prepare them for adoption when necessary. For animals that are adopted, the funding will help ensure they are spayed or neutered before joining their new families.

Read also: RIT professor Deborah Blizzard honored with Eisenhart Award for teaching with compassion curiosity and dedication to students

While some animals arrive at the shelter because they have been abandoned or surrendered, most are simply lost pets whose owners have yet to be located. Staff members at Greece Animal Services focus first on reunification whenever possible, working to identify owners and return pets to their homes.

When those efforts do not lead to a reunion, the animals are made available for adoption or transferred to trusted rescue partners that can help place them with families.

One early success story from the shelter highlights how the program works in practice.

The town’s first official adopted pet was a dog named Autumn. She had been discovered wandering in a Greece neighborhood in October and was brought to the shelter after being found at large.

A neighbor named Juliet heard about the dog and contacted animal services to express interest in adopting her if no owner came forward. After the required holding period passed without a claim, Juliet returned to the shelter with her own dog, Coda, for a meet-and-greet with Autumn.

The meeting went well. Within days, Juliet took Autumn home as a foster while awaiting final adoption approval. The adoption was officially completed in January after Autumn underwent a spay procedure.

Stories like Autumn’s illustrate the type of outcomes Greece Animal Services hopes to see more often as its programs expand. Officials say the ASPCA grant will allow the shelter to provide the medical care animals need while waiting for either their original owners or new adoptive families.

Across the country, the ASPCA has played a major role in supporting organizations dedicated to protecting animals. Since 2001, the organization has distributed more than $200 million in grant funding to thousands of programs and shelters nationwide.

These grants help communities strengthen animal protection systems, support pet adoption programs, expand veterinary care access, and assist shelters responding to disasters or emergency situations involving animals.

Read also: Student performers take the spotlight as RIT opens new state of the art Performing Arts Center on campus

The partnership with Greece Animal Services represents part of that broader mission—helping communities create strong local systems that keep animals safe while supporting responsible pet ownership.

The town’s shelter itself is still relatively new. Greece Animal Services opened its municipal facility in December 2024 as a temporary holding location for lost pets until they could be reunited with their owners.

Animals that were not reclaimed were initially transferred to partner rescue organizations for eventual adoption. But the program began to evolve quickly.

In June 2025, the town established a Director of Animal Services position and appointed Christopher Fitzgerald to oversee operations and guide the development of modern shelter and field service practices.

Over the following months, Greece Animal Services launched a volunteer network, a foster program, and its own adoption program—expanding the shelter’s ability to care for animals locally.

Those programs continue to grow as the department builds stronger connections with the community.

With new state standards now in place and additional funding secured, officials say Greece Animal Services is well positioned to continue improving how it protects and supports the pets—and the people—of the Greece community.