Ten Lives Club cat rescue and adoption group this week received incredible news that will enable them to save even more cats! The NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets approved the Ten Lives Club grant application for the NYS Companion Animal Capital Fund Grant Program in the amount of $200,000 to expand the shelter, making more room for homeless cats and enabling the rescue to make necessary improvements to improve the quality of life for all cats in their care.
The NYS Companion Animal Capital Fund was created to allow animal shelters to make infrastructural improvements to better the daily lives of sheltered dogs and cats. Ten Lives Club was selected because the NYS Agriculture and Markets Division of Animal Industry believes the Ten Lives Club Expansion and Shelter Improvements Project aligns with this mission.
“This is amazing news for Ten Lives Club as the need to help homeless cats in our area continues to grow. The number of cats we take in continues to exceed our shelter’s housing capacity, so this much-needed expansion is crucial to fulfilling our mission of saving the lives of as many cats as we can. This is the first time in our shelter’s history that we will receive funding from the state. We cannot thank the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets enough for giving animal welfare shelters the opportunity to expand through the NYS Companion Animal Capital Fund Grant Program and for believing in the good work we do at Ten Lives Club for our feline friends,” said Marie Edwards, Founder and Executive Director of Ten Lives Club.
Ten Lives Club will use the $200,000 grant to begin work on a two-story addition to the shelter, creating an adoption center that will give the public a welcoming space to meet cats and will increase adoptions, benefitting cats by getting them into homes sooner. An HVAC system will provide ventilation and climate control and new cat condos and medical cages will meet cats’ physical and behavioral needs and improve their quality of life, especially special needs cats that sometimes have longer stays.
Ten Lives Club is the preeminent cat rescue organization and shelter in Western New York with a mission to “promote, further, and enhance all cat life.” TLC provides shelter services to over 3,000 cats annually at its shelter at 3741 Lake Shore Road in Blasdell, and at 14 offsite adoption locations in Erie and Niagara counties. TLC also provides low-cost spay/neuter services to over 1,500 owned cats annually. In the 21 years since its humble beginnings in founder Marie Edward’s garage, TLC has saved close to 40,000 cats and is the largest animal rescue organization in WNY per number of animals served after the SPCA Serving Erie County.
Ten Lives Club will need to continue to fundraise to match this grant. You can help by making a donation here: www.tenlivesclub.com/donate.
