The Ames Animal Shelter and Control recently received a $9,000 grant that will be used for several education programs, including a campaign to teach college students about pet responsibility.

The money was awarded to the shelter by the Miccio Foundation of Iowa City, an organization dedicated to helping abandoned or mistreated pets in Iowa, according to its Web site, www.miccio.org.

Animal control officer Lorna Lavender said college students are often unable to keep pets due to moves, changes in apartment policy or lack of knowledge about how much work is involved in pet care.

“We want college students to make the decision [that] if they are going to be a pet owner, then they are going to be a lifelong pet owner,” Lavender said.

More animals are seen in the shelter in May when leases end and many students return home, she said.

The shelter also plans to stress the importance of spaying and neutering pets. Lavender said spaying and neutering pets is important to help stop the animal overpopulation problem and prevent additional homeless animals.

“You know, Bob Barker had the right message all along,” she said.

Spaying or neutering costs between $50 and $100, Lavender said. The shelter has a fund to help students pay for the cost if they cannot afford to spay or neuter their pet on their own.

The college animal education campaign was presented to the animal shelter by a public relations class from Iowa State who created the plan as part of a class assignment.

Lavender said the shelter is also planning to use the grant money awarded by the Miccio Foundation to hire an intern to help with the new plans.

In addition to the college campaign, the shelter also plans to educate elementary students about humane pet care and help sponsor a conference for animal shelter employees in Iowa.

The conference will be Nov. 13 and 14 in Johnston and, due to grant money, attendance will be free. Lavender said they have around 100 registrants for the event.

The shelter has between 40 to 60 visitors each day, Lavender said. Despite the many visitors, the shelter remains full of homeless animals.

The animal shelter does receive funding from the city of Ames, but the city has had to make budget cuts and the shelter is one of the organizations that received cuts, said Clare Bills, public relations officer for the city of Ames.

Lavender said the Miccio grant is the first the shelter has applied for, but they plan to apply for more in the future.