Support Adoption for Pets: Funding during COVID-19

Overview

This grant programme has been redeveloped to support rescues throughout the short and medium-term impact of the Coronavirus. The criteria will be reviewed at every Trustee meeting to ensure it reflects current circumstances affecting the rescue sector, and amendments will be made where applicable.

All funding requests must be for purposes which have a direct impact on the welfare of domestic pets in rescue. These are cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, degus, mice, chinchillas, rats, parrots and pet birds, commonly kept reptiles, ferrets, chickens, equines.

Eligibility

• The organisation’s main charitable activity must be the rescue and rehoming of domestic pets1 with the exception of points 6.1-6.5.
• The organisation has been operating for at least 2 years and can provide rehoming figures and financial information for a 12 month period.
• Organisations can be:

- branches of national pet rescue organisations which receive minimal or no funding from central funds

- independent pet rescue and rehoming centres

- foster or boarding kennel/cattery based

• The organisation must be based in the UK, Isle of Man or the Channel Islands.
• Organisations based within England, Wales or Scotland and have an annual income of over £50,000 must be a Registered Charity, either with the Charity Commission or the OSCR in Scotland.
• Organisations based within England, Wales or Scotland whose annual income is less than £50,000 do not need to be a Registered Charity.
• All organisations based in Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, regardless of income, must be registered as a charity with the relevant local body.
• The organisation must be based in the UK, Isle of Man or the Channel Islands and a significant majority of pets it rescues must be from within these geographical areas. 2
• If the organisation is involved in the rescue of pets from abroad more information may be requested, including confirmation from the organisation’s main vet that the organisation’s disease testing procedure follows the process recommended by the EU Dog & Cat Alliance.
• All organisations will, where applicable, vaccinate, microchip and treat all pets for fleas and worms prior to rehoming. If it is not possible to neuter an animal prior to adoption, the rescue should have a contract in place with the new owner that states they are committed to neutering their pet at a later date, if not paid for by the rescue.
• Support Adoption For Pets is prioritising rescues where a financial contribution of up to £10,000 will make a significant difference to the rescue organisation’s medium-term survival. Any organisation with more than 12 months’ reserves (unrestricted funds held as non-physical assets. i.e. cash, savings and investments) are unlikely to receive funding.
• Organisations with annual income of more than £1million may make an application, but these organisations will need to clearly demonstrate how a contribution from Support Adoption For Pets will make a real difference to the rescue’s medium-term survival.
• Applications can only be made by an individual known to the rescue and authorised to make grant applications on the rescue’s behalf.
• A rescue can apply regardless of when they last received a grant from Support Adoption For Pets. Rescues who have received a grant in the last six months (including emergency funding) will need to demonstrate how those funds have been used.
• If an application is successful, a rescue must wait at least three months from receipt of funds before reapplying under the terms of this grant programme.

What can I apply for?

The charitable purpose of the application must have a direct impact on the welfare of domestic pets.

They will only consider applications for the following:

• vet bills for pets within the rescue’s care or admitted to the rescue’s care
• boarding costs
• food
• salaries of non-furloughed animal care staff already within the rescue’s employment
• utilities and consumables (limited to rent3, utilities, bedding, animal and human hygiene supplies)

Awarded funds will be capped at £10,000 or 30% of total annual expenditure, whichever is the lesser amount.

For the period of this crisis, they will no longer consider applications which fall outside of the above purposes. This includes:

• the purchase of capital items (for example, vehicles, UPVC pens for foster homes, field shelters) and equipment
• building work
• Trap, Neuter and Release schemes
• low cost vaccination and/or neutering programmes made available to the public
• subsidised veterinary care provided to pets owned by the public
• any salary costs related to the recruitment of new staff
• any salary costs related to the employment of staff not directly involved in animal welfare (including charity shop staff, fundraising staff, and administrative staff)

For queries contact Laura, their Grant Funding Coordinator on laura@supportadoptionforpets.co.uk or 0161 486 7538.