Innovative ASPCA Program Turns Volunteer Fosters into Adoption Agents

NEW YORK, NY—The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) today announced that it has provided $239,000 in grant funding to 112 animal welfare organizations nationwide to help them take part in the ASPCA’s 2016 Adoption Ambassadors campaign.

The 2016 campaign, which runs from July 1 through December 31, empowers fosters to act as talent agents for their foster pets, including finding matches and completing official adoption processes. When animals are taken out in the community and promoted by their ambassadors, they’re seen by new pools of potential adopters, including trusted family and friends. Local participating shelters are currently recruiting members of the public to become new Adoption Ambassadors, making saving lives a true community effort.

“Through the Adoption Ambassadors program, shelters can find safe and loving homes for more at-risk animals by leveraging the social circles of their volunteer fosters,” said B.J. Rogers, vice president of prolearning for the ASPCA. ”Our research shows that adoptions completed by Ambassadors have fewer returns than traditional adoptions made in shelters.”

The Adoption Ambassadors grant funding helps by subsidizing adoption fees and other costs including pet food, cat litter, marketing expenses, and special “Adopt Me” vests, leashes, t-shirts and other promotional items. 

Recipients of ASPCA grant funding for the 2016 Adoption Ambassadors campaign include:

• Greater Huntsville Humane Society in Huntsville, Ala.
• Lee County Humane Society in Auburn, Ala.
• Shelby Humane Society in Columbiana, Ala.
• Humane Society of North Central Arkansas in Mountain Home, Ark.
• Butte County Humane Society in Chico, Calif.
• Cat Town in Oakland, Calif.
• City of Moreno Valley Animal Services in Moreno Valley, Calif.
• City of Stockton in Stockton, Calif.
• Doggy Smiles Rescue in Lancaster, Calif.
• Pretty Good Cat in Long Beach, Calif.
• Ramona Humane Society in San Jacinto, Calif.
• Rescue Ranch in Yreka, Calif.
• Town of Apple Valley Animal Services in Apple Valley, Calif.
• Animal House Pets & Grooming in Fort Collins, Colo.
• Colorado Springs All Breed Rescue in Colorado Springs, Colo.
• Larimer Humane Society in Fort Collins, Colo.
• Noah’s Ark Animal Welfare Association in Trinidad, Colo.
• Teller County Regional Animal Shelter in Divide, Colo.
• Wild Blue Animal Rescue and Sanctuary in Colorado Springs, Colo.
• Wells Valley Cat Sanctuary in New Milford, Conn.
• Alachua County Humane Society in Gainesville, Fla.
• Animal Aid in Oakland Park, Fla.
• Gainesville Pet Rescue in Gainesville, Fla.
• Halifax Humane Society in Daytona Beach, Fla.
• Humane Society of Greater Jupiter Tequesta in Jupiter, Fla.
• Humane Society of North Pinellas in Clearwater, Fla.
• Humane Society of Sarasota County in Sarasota, Fla.
• Humane Society of St Lucie County in Port Saint Lucie, Fla.
• Jacksonville Humane Society in Jacksonville, Fla.
• Plenty of Pit Bulls in Gainesville, Fla.
• SPCA in Lakeland, Fla.
• Safe Animal Shelter of Orange Park in Middleburg, Fla.
• Catoosa Citizens for Animal Care in Ringgold Ga.
• Boone Area Humane Society in Boone, Iowa 
• Animal Shelter of Wood River Valley in Hailey, Idaho
• PAWS Chicago in Chicago, Ill.
• PAWS Illinois NFP in Palos Hills, Ill.
• South Suburban Humane Society in Chicago Heights, Ill.
• City of Bloomington Animal Care & Control in Bloomington, Ind.
• Humane Society of Noble County in Kendallville, Ind.
• Morgan County Humane Society in Martinsville, Ind.
• Kitty City Kansas Rescue in Shawnee, Kan.
• Boone County Animal Shelter in Burlington, Ky.
• Paris Animal Welfare Society in Paris, Ky.
• Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Louisiana SPCA) in New Orleans La.
• Dakin Humane Society in Springfield, Mass.
• Chesapeake Feline Association in North East, Md.
• Homeward Bound Schnauzer Rescue in Millersville, Md.
• Humane Society of Charles County in Waldorf, Md.
• Humane Society of Washington County in Hagerstown, Md.
• Animal Welfare Society in West Kennebunk, Maine
• Bangor Humane Society in Bangor, Maine
• Capital Area Humane Society in Lansing, Mich.
• Detroit Animal Welfare Group (DAWG) in Bruce Township, Mich.
• Humane Society of Midland County in Midland, Mich.
• Ingham County Animal Shelter in Mason, Mich.
• Marquette County Humane Society in Negaunee, Mich.
• Humane Society of Kandiyohi & Meeker Counties in Willmar, Minn.
• Tri-County Humane Society in Saint Cloud, Minn.
• Kansas City Pet Project in Kansas City, Mo.
• Midwest Animal ResQ in Raytown City, Mo.
• Open Door Animal Sanctuary in House Springs City, Mo.
• Pearl River County SPCA in Picayune, Miss.
• Southern Pines Animal Shelter in Hattiesburg, Miss.
• Stafford Animal Shelter in Livingston, Mont.
• Asheville Humane Society in Asheville, N.C.
• Humane Society of Catawba County in Hickory, N.C.
• Old North Canine Rescue in Burlington, N.C.
• Outer Banks SPCA in Manteo, N.C.
• Animal Alliance of NJ in Lambertville, N.J.
• New Jersey Schnauzer Rescue Network in Fanwood, N.J.
• St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center in Madison, N.J.
• Trenton Cats Rescue in Trenton, N.J.
• ACTion Programs for Animals (APA) in Las Cruces, N.M.
• Yerington Area Cat Control (YACC) in Yerington, Nev.
• Animal Care Centers of NYC in New York, N.Y.
• Animalkind in Hudson, N.Y.
• Infinite Hope Services in Brooklyn, N.Y.
• Louie’s Legacy Animal Rescue in Staten Island, N.Y.
• City of Norman Animal Welfare in Norman, Okla.
• Columbia Humane Society in St. Helens, Ore.
• Willamette Humane Society in Salem, Ore.
• PAWS, the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society in Philadelphia, Pa.
• Animal Mission in Columbia, S.C.
• Charleston Animal Society in North Charleston, S.C.
• The Humane Society of North Myrtle Beach in North Myrtle Beach, S.C.
• Western Hills Humane Society in Spearfish, S.D.
• Young-Williams Animal Center of East Tennessee in Knoxville, Tenn.
• 4 Paws Farm in Hempstead, Texas
• Austin Humane Society in Austin, Texas
• Denison Animal Welfare Group in Denison, Texas
• Humane Society of Central Texas in Waco, Texas
• Paws Ranch Rescue and Animal Sanctuary in San Antonio, Texas
• Tri-City Animal Shelter & Adoption Center in Cedar Hill, Texas
• Cache Humane Society in Logan, Utah
• South Ogden Animal Services in South Ogden, Utah
• Fredericksburg SPCA in Fredericksburg, Va.
• Humane Society of Warren County in Front Royal, Va.
• Louisa County Animal Shelter in Mineral, Va.
• Norfolk Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Norfolk SPCA) in Norfolk, Va.
• Prince George County Adoption Center in Disputanta, Va.
• Richmond SPCA in Richmond, Va.
• Roanoke Valley SPCA in Roanoke, Va.
• Seattle Area Feline Rescue in Shoreline, Wash.
• Bay Area Humane Society in Green Bay, Wis.
• Fox Valley Humane Association in Appleton, Wis.
• Northwoods Humane Society in Hayward, Wis.
• Sheboygan County Humane Society in Sheboygan, Wis.
• Animal Friends of Barbour County in Philippi, W.V.
• Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association in Charleston, W.V.
• Pleasants County Humane Society in Saint Marys, W.V.
• Cheyenne Animal Shelter-Services in Cheyenne, Wyo.

“This program can enable shelters to increase capacity, decrease returns, ease overcrowding and reach new adopters – but they cannot do it alone,” added Rogers. “The success of this program depends on the response from members of the community. The more people who sign up to become Adoption Ambassadors for adoptable pets in their area, the greater reach the local shelter will have with a whole new population of potential adopters.”

Organizations of all types and sizes – including private and municipal companion animal shelters and horse rescues – can start their own Adoption Ambassadors programs. To learn more about the program, visit aspcapro.org/ambassadors.