Baltimore, Md. Animal Rescue & Care Shelter (BARCS) Wins Northeast Division And $20K in 2012 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge

NEW YORK—The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) today announced that Baltimore Animal Rescue & Care Shelter (BARCS) in Baltimore, Md. has won the Northeast division and $20,000 in the 2012 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge. In August, September and October, the shelter adopted or reunited 2,054 pets, an increase of 679 lives saved over the same period last year.  In addition, BARCS was named 'Most Improved Player' in their division earning an additional $10,000, and earned $5,000 for increasing lives saved by more than 300 for a total of $35,000 in grant prizes.

"BARCS was clearly 'going for the gold' with their summer games-themed campaign, offering fee-waived adoptions for the duration of the contest," said Bert Troughton, vice president of community outreach for the ASPCA. "They increased adoptions – and their presence in the community – with a string of creative adoption events and promotions, community partnerships and fun events."

All $100K Challenge contestants worked to save more cats and dogs during the months of August, September and October 2012 than they did during the same period in 2011, in order to win a piece of the more than $500,000 in prize grants. The ASPCA and Rachael Ray today awarded the $100,000 grand prize to City of San Antonio Animal Care Services for achieving the greatest increase in lives saved during the three-month period (1,384). The contestant that did the best job of engaging its community members in helping to save more animals – Animal Rescue League Shelter and Wildlife Center in Pittsburgh, Pa. –won $25,000. Twenty other agencies will receive grants of $5,000 or more today for their successes at saving more lives.

All her life, Rachael Ray has been an advocate for animals and a supporter of animal welfare groups. Her love for animals and for her pit bull, Isaboo, inspired her to create a pet food called Nutrish® to raise money for animals in need.  Ray donates 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of Nutrish® to organizations like the ASPCA so they can implement programs like the $100K Challenge and support shelters and animal organizations around the country.

The ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge is a groundbreaking contest that challenges animal shelters across the country to come up with innovative ways to engage their communities and get more homeless cats and dogs into loving homes. For more information about the 2013 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge, stay tuned to www.aspca.org/100kchallenge for announcements in January 2013.