$75 Million Offered for Single Dose Sterilization of Dogs and Cats
The Found Animals Foundation and its strategic partner, the Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs (ACC&D), announced the launch of The Michelson Prize and Grants in Reproductive Biology, an international competition that represents a unique experiment in innovation aimed at solving pet overpopulation.
The Michelson Prize offers $25 million to the first entity to provide to Found Animals a safe, effective, and practical non-surgical sterilant for use in dogs and cats. Found Animals recognizes that the research required to develop and test novel approaches to pet sterilization will take time and money and that many interested parties may not have access to the resources required to initiate and maintain research in pursuit of the prize. For that reason, Found Animals is also offering $50 million in companion grants to provide funding for promising research in pursuit of non-surgical sterilization technology.
The goal of the Michelson Prize is to encourage researchers from a wide variety of scientific fields to take on the challenge of non-surgical pet sterilization. Found Animals is hopeful that this large monetary incentive will motivate scientists, including those who may never have been aware of the issues of pet overpopulation, to bring cutting edge scientific approaches to bear in this historically underserved area.
Found Animals is a 501(c) 3, privately operating foundation, formed by prolific inventor, entrepreneur and billionaire, Dr. Gary Michelson. Dr. Michelson is also noted as one of Forbes 400 Richest Americans.
The foundation addresses the causes and consequences of pet overpopulation through innovative strategies and community partnerships and works to develop sustainable, scalable animal welfare business models. Dr. Michelson is “making an unprecedented investment on behalf of companion animals,” says Aimee Gilbreath, executive director of Found Animals.
Surgical spay/neuter procedures are the current standard for sterilizing companion animals. While this approach is relatively safe and effective, it is not an ideal. The procedures require general anesthesia and an adequately equipped surgical facility, both of which create obstacles including high costs, transportation of animals and the inherent risks of surgery. A single dose, non-surgical sterilant would be an ideal solution. In addition to addressing pet population in the U.S., The Michelson Prize seeks to make sterilization accessible and affordable worldwide and aid developing countries where this problem is even greater since many pet caretakers don’t have access to basic veterinary care, let alone spay/neuter services.
“We’re killing millions of pets annually in the U.S. for the simple lack of a home and sterilization programs are the only viable solution,” said Dr. Michelson.
For more information about the Michelson Prize and Grants visit, www.foundanimals.org or www.acc-d.org
Photo Caption: Dr. Gary Michelson, founder and Aimee Gilbreath, executive director of Found Animals. Dog’s from left to right are Gracie, Honey and Rufus.
Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy of Seth Casteel, www.LittleFriendsPhoto.com
