Newburgh gets $500,000 state grant for new animal shelter

Newburgh’s animal shelter system is getting a $500,000 boost from New York State, but the real story is the gap it is meant to close. City leaders say the money will help build a new shelter facility for dogs and cats in Newburgh and nearby communities, where rescue, adoption and humane enforcement needs are already split among multiple local agencies.

The grant came through the state’s Companion Animal Capital Projects Fund, and the City of Newburgh was named in the round-eight award list for “new shelter construction.” In this latest round, the state awarded nearly $10 million to 31 animal care organizations across New York, with the City of Buffalo receiving money for shelter renovation and expansion and the Chautauqua County Humane Society getting funds for sanitation and wall-and-floor upgrades. The mix of awards shows the program is financing both new buildings and the repairs aging shelters need to keep operating.

For Newburgh, the award is a concrete step toward a facility that could ease pressure on an area where shelter space and animal control duties are spread across several governments. The Hudson Valley SPCA says it is the only no-kill facility in the Newburgh area and the only source of humane law enforcement in Orange County, a sign that existing capacity is already stretched. The City of Newburgh Police Department handles animal control services, while the Town of Newburgh runs its own animal control and shelter operations.

The state grant does not cover the entire cost of the project. In January, the City of Newburgh Council authorized the city manager to apply for and accept a 2025-2026 Companion Animal Capital Projects Fund grant of up to $500,000, with a required 10% local match, for the City of Newburgh Animal Shelter Improvements Project. That leaves city officials with the next accountability tests: the full budget, the local share and the timeline for turning the grant into a finished shelter residents can use.

Governor Kathy Hochul said the Companion Animal Capital Projects Fund is the first state program in the nation to fund capital projects for animal shelters. The program, administered by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, was launched in 2017 and has now committed more than $48 million. This year’s funding round also included $1 million reserved for sheltering organizations not under contract with municipalities or regions, underscoring how broad the state’s animal-care network has become.

For Newburgh, the award marks the start of a project that could change how the city and surrounding communities house, treat and place homeless animals. The promise is not just a new building, but a stronger system for care that can serve Orange County’s rescue needs for years to come.