Washington Animal Rescue League (D.C.) Tops Division One after Second Month of 2013 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge

NEW YORK—The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) today announced that Washington Animal Rescue League in Washington, D.C. is at the top of the leaderboard in Division One of the 2013 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge, for finding homes for 482 pets during the first 60 days of the three-month competition, an increase of 248 lives saved over the same two months last year. Through August, 49 animal shelters from across the country will work to increase adoptions in order to win a piece of the more than $600,000 in ASPCA prize grants, including a grand prize of $100,000.

“Washington Animal Rescue League has had a really unique ‘Rescue Pets Bring out the Human in All of Us’ campaign which has really tugged at the heartstrings of area adopters,” said Bert Troughton, vice president of community outreach for the ASPCA. “They’ve now hit the milestone of 500 adoptions and are still going strong.”

In addition to Washington Animal Rescue League, contestants in Division One (those with an annual intake of 1,500-2,500 animals) for the 2013 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge are:

• Almost Home Humane Society in Lafayette, Ind.
• Butte Humane Society in Chico, Calif.
• Eleventh Hour Rescue in Randolph, N.J.
• Humane Society of Midland County in Midland, Mich.
• Humane Society of Pinellas in Clearwater, Fla.
• Macon County Animal Control & Care Center in Decatur, Ill.
• Providence Animal Rescue League in Providence, R.I.
• Suncoast Humane Society in Englewood, Fla.
• Unicoi County Animal Shelter in Erwin, Tenn.

The 49 contestants are working to save more animals – during the months of June, July and August 2013 – than they did over the same three-month period in 2012. Last year's competing shelters saved more than 56,000 cats and dogs during the contest, an increase of 14,376 over the same period in 2011.

The ASPCA and Rachael Ray will award a $100,000 grand prize to the shelter contestant that achieves the greatest increase in lives saved during this three-month period. The contestant that does the best job of engaging its community members in helping to save more animals will win $25,000. Those organizations that do the best in their divisions will be eligible for between $10,000 and $25,000 in additional grants. In total, $600,000 in grant funding will be awarded for increases in animal lives saved, as well as a photo contest and general participation.

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 a portion of her 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, please visit www.aspca.org/100K.