Five Years of Record-Breaking Adoptions: How They Happened & How They Can Help You

The ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge launched in 2010 with one goal: to help shelters save more lives. During its five-year run, 239 contestants saved 282,679 lives – nearly 60,000 more than in the same period a year earlier.

Who, Where, What, When

Find out who participated year by year, where they were located, and who the winners were.

• Year 1: 2010
• Year 2: 2011
• Year 3: 2012
• Year 4: 2013
• Year 5: 2014

How Challengers Saved More Lives

A fierce but friendly competition and $600,000 in grant prizes each year inspired staff, volunteers and communities across the country to create, innovate and work harder than ever before. Challengers had three months to dramatically increase the number of lives saved over the same period in the previous year – and a grand prize of $100,000 went to the yearly winner. 

Dozens of agencies representing every size, geography and auspice increased their adoption numbers by hundreds (and in several cases by more than 1,000 animals) in just three months.

Thank You!

Thanks to the staff and volunteers at 239 competing shelters for working so hard to save so many lives, to the thousands of families who opened their hearts and homes to animals in need, and to Rachael Ray for her generosity and partnership in saving lives.