FARMINGTON — The Franklin County Animal Shelter recently received an $8,000 grant from the Maine Community Foundation’s Belvedere Animal Welfare Fund for spay/neuter services and outreach in Franklin County.

“Many families want to fix their cat but are just not able to afford the cost of traditional veterinary services,” shelter Director Heidi Jordan said. “We feel very fortunate that we were awarded this grant, which allows us to provide this terrific opportunity to our community.”

For a small fee, community members can purchase a voucher that allows them to have their cat fixed at a local veterinary office for no charge.

In providing reduced-cost spay/neuter services, the shelter hopes to reduce the number of unwanted cats and kittens that are brought to the shelter each year.

The shelter sees more than 700 stray felines each year, most of which have not been spayed or neutered, according to Jordan.

The shelter’s goal is to have 100 families benefit from this grant. A representative from the shelter will be going to local neighbors to spread the word about this program.

The Maine Community Foundation has offices in Ellsworth and Portland and works with donors and other partners to improve the quality of life for all Maine people.

To learn more about the foundation, visit www.mainecf.org.