Shelter’s Edge

Applications for the 2012 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge open at noon ET today. Need a reason to apply? We’ve got 10.

#10 Increase Adoptions
In 2010, contestants in the $100K Challenge adopted out 6,775 more animals than they had during the same 3-month period the year before. In 2011, that number was 9,191.

That’s 15,966 more photos like this one:

Humane Society of Greater Dayton

#9 Try Something New
Fee-waived cats. Overnight events. Half-price adoptions. Friendlier policies.  Attempting to break a Guinness World Record by cutting hair continuously for 72 hours. Locking a professional fighter in a kennel…

Humane Society of South Mississippi

Yup, Challenge contestants get out of the box.

#8 Increase Your Visibility
$100K Challenge contestants reported increases in volunteer hours, social media engagement and donors. In 2010, the Louisiana SPCA saw a jump from 1,700 to 4,000 Facebook fans during the course of the Challenge, while the number of active volunteers at NOAH Animal Adoption and Spay/Neuter Center jumped from 362 to 437.

With all that extra attention, folks’ll be lining up (literally!) to adopt…

Butte Humane Society

#7 Empty Your Kennels
The Humane Society of Williamson County wasn’t the only Challenge contestant to take a photo like this during 2011 kick-off weekend. (They were the only ones to dedicate an entire Facebook album to shots of all the empty cages and kennels after adopting out 102 animals, though!)

Humane Society of Williamson County

#6 Decrease Euthanasia
“On October 12, 2011, HSSM experienced, for the first time in history, a day when NO healthy, adoptable pets were euthanized. We want 364 more days like October 12, 2011. It can be done. We are already well on our way there.”
–Humane Society of South Mississippi, 2011 Second Place and Southeast Region Winner

Austin Pets Alive!

#5 Break Your Own Records
133% increase in adoptions. 11% decrease in euthanasia. 250% more cat adoptions. 226 adoptions in 24 hours. And then there’s milestones like this one…

“Our staff was kind of dazed and sitting around the lobby one afternoon. I asked if they had nothing to do. They looked at me and said, ‘We have no more animals.’ It was the most amazing moment in our organization’s history. We all sat down together and wept—and this time they were tears of joy.”
–Guinn Friedman, Humane Society for Greater Savannah, 2011 Community Engagement Prize Winner

New Hampshire SPCA

# 4 Get A New ‘Tude

“We have realized that everything we need to save more lives is right here in our own backyard. The Challenge helped us understand and learn, and taught us to look no further than our own community for the opportunity to make a difference, every day.”
–Sandy Grambort, Humane Society of North Texas, 2010 Contestant

Humane Society of North Texas

# 3 Run Out of Cats

Greater Androscoggin Humane Society

See those cats on the left in this before-and-after shot? “We had every cat condo in the shelter filled to the brim with cats and kittens. In less than 24 hours they had all been adopted, all because of our amazing supporters who shared the news about our first-ever 24-hour Super Adoption Event.”
–Zachary Black, Greater Androscoggin Humane Society, 2011 Northeast Region Winner

#2 Win Some Major Buckage
$500,000+ in prizes. 27 ways to win, from $5K to $100K. And really big checks like Ed McMahon would give out.

Austin Pets Alive!

#1 Save MORE Lives
The hard data: 2010 & 2011 Challenge contestants combined saved 16,339 more cats and dogs than they did during the same 3-month period in the years prior.

The warm fuzzy: “If even just one more life was saved, it would all have been worth it–but for us, it was 206 more. And it will be even more as we move forward with the programs, processes and momentum started as a result of being challenged to be and do better.”
–Stephanie Filer, Animal Rescue League of Iowa, 2011 Contestant

A wall of photos—one of MANY!—of each animal adopted at Greater Androscoggin Humane Society during the $100K Challenge.

P.S. Are you ready to take the Challenge? Applications open TODAY!—the journey begins here!

Related Links:
Apply for the $100K Challenge!
Keeping Up with the Contestants: Party in the USA!

Tags: $100K Challenge, Fee-Waived Adoptions

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