Grant aids Aiken SPCA's Spay and Neuter Fund

The Aiken Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is the recipient of a challenge grant, which will help low-income households spay and neuter their pets if they have not been able to receive a voucher.

Linda Darden, a seasonal resident of Aiken who helped found Vermont's North County Animal League, will match up to $5,000 of 2009-10 donor contributions to the Aiken SPCA Spay and Neuter Fund.

Board President Barbara Nelson wrote in an e-mail that the SPCA will use the funds generated by Darden's challenge grant to assist those individuals who are not able to obtain a spay/neuter voucher from the Aiken County Animal Shelter.

Because of the program's popularity, the County Shelter has begun rationing vouchers to 25 a month and one per household. Officials are afraid the money allocated will be depleted before the end of the fiscal year.

It has happened before. The $30,000 that Aiken County Council earmarked for the program last fiscal year ran out in nine months.

"We are happy that a private citizen has come forward and made this generous offer," said Todd Glover, assistant County administrator.

"Obviously, we do have limited funds so we are trying to spread this out over the course of a year. But we're glad it's a popular program," he said.

The budget that Council approved in June included an additional $30,000 for the voucher program, funded at the previous year's level, which Glover said is a small victory considering that many other programs in the budget received cuts.

SPCA Executive Director Gary Willoughby said both the SPCA and County Shelter know spaying and neutering is an important thing to do.

"We're very happy people are stepping up and getting their animals fixed," he said.

Nelson reports that Darden's grant, if fully challenged, will spay and neuter more than 400 pets and prevent thousands of unwanted puppies and kittens from entering the shelter system.