Applications Now Officially Open in the 2012 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge

b>NEW YORK—The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) today announced that applications are now open in the 2012 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge, with more than $500,000 in prize grants to help shelters save more homeless cats and dogs.

Beginning at 12 noon ET today, March 13, interested shelters can apply to compete in the Qualifying Heat of the ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge. Applications will be accepted through 12 midnight ET on Thursday, March 15, or until 150 completed applications have been received – whichever comes first.

Shelters whose applications are accepted will go on to compete in the Qualifying Heat – 12 days of online voting to select this year’s 50 official Challenge contestants.  Qualifying Heat voting opens at 12 noon ET on Thursday, April 5 and closes at 12 midnight ET on Monday, April 16.

Once the 50 competing shelters are selected, they will set about to save at least 300 more cats and dogs during the months of August, September and October 2012 than they did during the same period last year.

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. A second place prize of $25,000 will be awarded to the shelter with the second greatest increase in lives saved, and 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 $5,000 and $40,000 in additional grants.

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 2012 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge, please visit www.aspca.org/100kchallenge.