For the second year in a row, the ASPCA is running a campaign to reward community rescue organizations for their “energetic and innovative programs for getting more cats and dogs returned to owners or adopted into loving homes.”
Between August 1 and October 31, contestants hold events like adopt-a-thons, mobile adoptions, educational programs, and anything else they can think up to spread the word and get more cats and dogs adopted in their communities.
Called the “ASPCA $100k Challenge,” the program actually has $300,000 in prize money to give away to three winners:
* Largest increase in lives saved: The contestant that saves the largest number of additional cats, kittens, dogs, and puppies beyond the minimum 300 wins the $100,000 Grand Prize grant!
* Second place: The contestant that saves the second largest number of additional cats, kittens, dogs, and puppies beyond the minimum 300 lives saved wins the $25,000 Second Place grant!
* Largest increase in lives saved in each region: The contestant in each of five geographic regions that saves the largest number of additional cats, kittens, dogs, and puppies beyond the minimum 300 wins a $20,000 Best in Region grant.
After perusing the contest website, I was impressed by the resources the ASPCA is offering local shelters and rescue organizations to help them gain visibility — marketing materials, media toolkit, tutorials and webinars, and of course the website itself, which enables organizations to set up profile pages.
(The one thing I did find frustrating about the website as a visitor, was the inability to sort events by geographic location. It seemed I could only view events by date, which isn’t that helpful when I really want to see if anything’s happening in Brooklyn.)
I’m sure the program will be a success again this year. I just hope all the participating shelters will be responsible in screening potential adopters – we want the animals going to loving homes, right?
