Washington Animal Rescue League (D.C.) Wins Division One in 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 (WARL) in Washington, D.C. has won Division One of the 2013 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge. WARL found homes for 800 pets during the three-month competition, an increase of 326 lives saved over the same three months last year, and was awarded a total of $35,000 in grant funding from the ASPCA and Rachael Ray today in one of several celebration events throughout the nation.

“Washington Animal Rescue League kept a truly unbelievable pace during the competition,” said Bert Troughton, vice president of community outreach for the ASPCA. “For three months they ran numerous adoption promotions, partnered with local businesses and conducted major adoption events to meet their goal of saving 800 dogs and cats this summer.

Forty-nine shelter contestants worked to save more animals – during the months of June, July and August 2013 – than they did over the same three-month period in 2012. This year’s competing shelters saved 56,379 cats and dogs during the contest, an increase of 12,050 over the same period in 2012.

The ASPCA and Rachael Ray today awarded a $100,000 grand prize to The Animal Foundation of Las Vegas, Nev., the shelter contestant that achieved the greatest increase in lives saved during this three-month period. Canyon County Animal Shelter in Caldwell, Idaho, which did the best job of engaging its community members in helping to save more animals, was awarded $25,000. The organizations that did the best in their divisions were awarded $25,000 in grants. In total, $600,000 in grant funding is awarded to competing shelters in the competition 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 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 information about the ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge, please visit www.aspca.org/100K.