The Remy Fund for Pets and Animal Services at the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, established by Hoover resident Ken Jackson, this year is giving out $69,200 in grants to nonprofits involving companion animals such as dogs, cats and horses in Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, Blount and Walker counties.
The 11 organizations awarded grants this year include:
- Kitty Kat Haven, $10,000, to support veterinary costs of the hundreds of cats and kittens the Haven serves annually, including severely ill or injured animals.
- KatDadde, $10,000, to support comprehensive care of rescued and outdoor colony cats, and to enhance their capacity to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome cats.
- Alabama Spay Neuter, $10,000, for the Remy SNIP program, providing low-cost spay/neuter surgeries, reducing the number of unwanted animals in the community.
- Walker County Humane Society, $10,000, to provide spay and neuter resources in Walker County.
- Bama Bully Rescue, $7,500, to provide care and adoption services for bully breeds, and to support community dogs belonging to low-income owners.
- Hand in Paw, Inc, $5,000, for the Wags for Wellness program, a mental health and stress relief program that benefits health care workers and first responders.
- Sugarbelle Foundation, $5,000, to further the mission of keeping pets and people together by providing comprehensive medical care, safe shelter and training/evaluations to pet owners in need, and for spay/neuter services.
- Special Equestrians, $4,700, to provide comprehensive care for horses in their animal-assisted equine therapy program.
- The Country Cattery, $2,500, to support veterinary expenses, housing and food costs for the animals in care, as well as the feeding of feral colonies.
- Rescuers United for Furbabies, $2,500, to purchase a new air conditioning unit for the organization’s transport van.
- Birmingham AIDS Outreach, $2,000, for the Pets Are Wonderful Support program, which provides food and services for pets of HIV positive people who require financial assistance.
The Remy Fund was established in 2010 by Jackson in honor of his late dog, Remy, with Jackson giving more than $750,000 to the fund. Since 2011, the fund has awarded over $649,000 in grants.
As an endowed fund, the Remy Fund for Pets and Animal Services will continue to provide annual grants for nonprofits that provide services for dogs, cats, horses and the people who love them.
The Remy Fund is supported by many generous donors, including significant donations from the Diane and Warren Ferguson Fund for Animals, the Jean K. Forman Fund for Animal Welfare and the Anne Knight Townsend Fund for the Welfare of Animals.
The Remy Fund Grant Committee conducts in-depth reviews of all grant applicants, including site visits with those applicants. The Remy Fund Grant Committee members include Debra Linton (chairwoman), Cathy Adams, Bert Gaddis, Sheryl Kimerling, James “Murphy” Lynch, Maggie McDonald, Isabel Rubio, Cameron Vowell and Laura Wainwright. Jackson serves as an ex-officio member of the committee.
People can make donations to the Remy Fund online at cfbham.org/remy-fund/ or by check mailed to Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, 1531 Third Ave. N., Suite 100, Birmingham, AL 35203.
The 2025 grant cycle for the Remy Fund will open for applications in spring 2025. Learn more at cfbham.org/remy-fund/. For more information about grants, contact Meg Ford at mford@cfbham.org.
