Our Unsung Hero!    

By Anne Lindsay

For so many of us, accounting and financial statements are a foreign language.  We glaze over when we see numbers and charts.  We avoid talking about financials.  We set up our boards and then hope someone comes along who can handle the Treasurer position.  For MAC, that “someone” is Adrienne Linnell, who has been our amazing, talented, smart Treasurer for quite a while.  

Because some of us are challenged in the finance department, Adrienne has gone out of her way to set up the MAC books in a way that laypeople can understand. She explains everything so thoroughly that we actually understand what she says!  Adrienne is invaluable in MAC’s License Plate Grant process - she checks the applicants’ filings with the state and the IRS, notifies grant recipients of awards, cuts the coveted spay/neuter checks, and helps troubleshoot unusual situations. Without Adrienne the process would take much longer and would be much more complicated.  

Adrienne has over 35 years of management experience in the private and public sector. She has been on the MAC board for about 10 years, and has served as the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society Board President.  As an avid “cat lady” she has worked tirelessly to help cats in our state.  

Adrienne earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration from Cornell University, and a Master of Business Administration from The University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. In May 2017 Adrienne joined Quinsigamond Community College as the Program Administrator of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Initiatives.  STEM is a nationwide effort to recruit, prepare, retain and graduate a diverse body of students earning STEM certificates and degrees who go on to transfer to 4-year STEM programs and/or enter the workforce.

In Adrienne’s “spare” time, her capable leadership has helped MAC to be successful in maintaining impeccable financials and encouraged the rest of us to better understand those pesky numbers!  Thank you to Adrienne for all that she does behind the scenes.  Our unsung hero!  

License Plates Save Even More Lives!!

By Anne Lindsay

MAC is pleased to announce that $185,000 in grant funding was awarded to applicants in June under the 2022 Emergency COVID grant program. The MAC “I’m Animal Friendly” License Plate Program has been in operation since 2004 and has now granted out just under $3 million dollars!! Funds help animal shelters, rescue groups and animal control programs with the cost of spaying and neutering their dogs, cats and bunnies.  

In late 2019 MAC had announced the License Plate Program team was going to take a one-year hiatus from making awards and would instead use 2020 to restructure the program. In response to the challenges COVID was presenting to shelters, rescues and animal control programs, MAC created a temporary Emergency COVID grant program with a simplified application process that was used to make awards in 2021 and 2022. 

The total requests for funding for this recent emergency grant cycle was the most we have ever received – 38 different organizations submitted requests totaling $517,260. With $185,000 of funding to disperse, MAC’s amazing Grant Award Committee had quite a challenge, and we thank them for doing such a great job of reading and analyzing each application!  And we say a hearty “Congratulations” to the 2022 group of funding recipients listed below.  The committee will announce plans for future funding in the coming

months.

Missing Dogs Massachusetts Announces 2022 Loss Prevention Grant Program!

Applications Accepted

Through July 31, 2022

This year, there is the opportunity for all MA and RI rescues currently registered with the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture, as well as approved municipal holding facilities to apply for a grant for both microchip and martingale collar funding.

An organization or entity may apply for either or both sources of funding.

MDM has set aside a fixed amount for this year’s grants, and the amount awarded to each recipient will depend on the number of qualified applications that we receive.

For microchips, it will be a direct grant awarded to the org/entity with year-end reporting expected as documentation on the spending of the restricted funds.

For martingale collars, the funding will be a reimbursement for purchase of collars by the grant recipients.

Grant applications will be accepted from 7-2-22 to 7-31-22 and awards will be made by the end of September 2022.

Please click on the link to access the grant application(s), and if you should have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact: missingdogsmass@gmail.com.

Beagle Bill Update

MAC formally endorsed passage of the MA “Beagle Bill” (H.901), which allows suitable dogs and cats from research and product testing laboratories to be adopted, thereby avoiding their euthanasia. MA shelters and rescues are not required to participate, but can, to facilitate adoptions of these animals into loving homes. Similar bills have passed in 12 other states. The great news is that the Bill has been passed by both the Massachusetts House and Senate with minor wording changes. The bill, renamed S. 2992, now goes back to the House and Senate to agree on those changes and once that’s done, the bill will go to Governor Baker’s desk to be signed into law before the current legislative session ends on July 31st!

An Act Protecting the Health and Safety of Puppies and Kittens in Cities and Towns

The MA Legislature is also considering S.1322, An Act Protecting the Health and Safety of Puppies and Kittens in Cities and Towns.

It would stop sales of puppies and kittens under 8 weeks old; require rules/regulations for boarding facilities and breeders; stop roadside sales of animals; update laws regulating kennels; and, clarify that dogs and cats are not to be considered livestock. This Bill has now passed in the Senate and will need to pass in the House soon. Contacting your House Representative to urge passage can help. 

2022 Online Feline Leukemia Day

July 16, 2022 10am-5pm

The Community Cats Podcast is thrilled to announce that we will once again be holding our Online Feline Leukemia Day this year. Speakers from a wide range of fields from veterinarians to shelter specialists will bring you the latest information on Feline Leukemia studies, improvements in care, and suggestions to help you start and maintain policies and programs that will help you find homes for these special kitties.

The National Kitten Coalition Veterinary Conference

Sunday, October 2, 2022

10am-6:30pm

This one day, online event welcomes renowned speakers and attendees* from around the world with the common goal of sharing information to help kittens and increase their survival rates.  

Sessions will be submitted for RACE® CE approval, and recordings will also be available to all registrants until Dec. 31, 2022. All payments are final.

* This Conference is intended for veterinarians, veterinary technicians/nurses, those currently enrolled in veterinary or vet tech schools, veterinary staff members in private practices and shelters, and those involved in veterinary education and research.

Animal Rescue Aid Announces Next Grant

Applications Accepted

Through July 31, 2022

Details  

3 Grants to be Awarded

Award

10 Pet Beds & 10 KONG toys

Application Period

July 1st - 31st, 2022 | 5 p.m. EST

Award Date:

August 15th, 2022

*ARA reserves the right to award one single grant of 30 beds/toys to one shelter.

Your Org Might be Eligible for CASH rom the IRS!!!

Do you know about the Employee Retention Tax Credit?

From the Humane Network: "For a nonprofit, tax refunds equal cash payments since there are no income taxes. In order to qualify, you need to show a reduction in gross revenue post-pandemic as compared to pre-pandemic or have been restricted from operating by government order.

Below is a fact sheet that further explains the program. If you have not already filed for these credits, we recommend you contact your organization’s Treasurer or CPA.

 If you would like help determining if your organization is eligible and going through the process of applying, you may want to contact Mark DeBacker. Mark is the president of the board of directors for Heaven Can Wait, a Las Vegas-based nonprofit vet clinic. We do not typically promote third-party services, but Mark mentioned that many organizations still do not know about this benefit and he wanted to be sure they were not missing out. He also wishes to offer his assistance at a discounted rate to other nonprofits that work with Humane Network. For more information, you can reach Mark at mdebacker@innovate-accounting.com."