Central California SPCA Tops Division Five after First Month of 2014 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge

NEW YORK—The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) today announced that Central California SPCA in Fresno, Calif. is at the top of the leaderboard in Division Five of the 2014 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge. They found homes for 711 pets during the first 30 days of the three-month competition, an increase of 393 lives saved over the same month last year. Through August, 50 animal shelters from across the country will work to increase adoptions in order to win a piece of the more than $600,000 in ASPCA prize grants, including a grand prize of $100,000.

“Central California SPCA set a lofty goal for themselves of 2,880 adoptions during the contest, and they are well on their way with 711 pets in new homes after just the first month,” said Bert Troughton, vice president of community outreach for the ASPCA. “Their campaign urging potential adopters to ‘be a life saver’ is certainly paying off.”

In addition to Central California SPCA, contestants in Division Five (those with an annual intake of more than 11,001 animals) for the 2014 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge are:

• City of Stockton Animal Services in Stockton, Calif.
• Arizona Humane Society in Phoenix, Ariz.
• Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region in Colorado Springs, Colo.
• Kansas City Pet Project in Kansas City, Mo.
• San Antonio Animal Care Services in San Antonio, Texas
• Pima Animal Care Center in Tucson, Ariz.
• The City of Oklahoma City Animal Welfare Division in Oklahoma City, Okla.
• Moreno Valley Animal Shelter in Moreno Valley, Calif.
• Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS) in Baltimore, Md.

The 50 contestants are working to save more animals during the months of June, July and August 2014 than they did over the same three-month period in 2013. Last year's competing shelters saved more than 56,000 cats and dogs during the contest, an increase of 12,050 over the same period in 2012.

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. 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 $10,000 and $25,000 in additional grants. In total, $600,000 in grant funding will be awarded 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 2014 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge, please visit www.aspca.org/100K.