More than 68,000 Animals Saved During 2014 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge

NEW YORK, Oct. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) today announced that 68,805 dogs and cats were adopted during the three-month 2014 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge, an increase of 16,789 over the same period last year. Over the five years of the $100K Challenge – held annually since 2010 – contestants saved a total of 282,679 lives.

"When we mapped out the design of this contest six years ago, we were aiming to inspire new innovations and dramatic increases in lives saved," says Bert Troughton, vice president of strategic initiatives at the ASPCA. "The rest was up to the more than 200 shelters who've competed over the last five years, and they knocked it out of the park. Not only did they increase lives saved by nearly 60,000, but they've redefined what's possible and given shelters everywhere both hope and new, successful strategies for saving more lives."

The ASPCA and Rachael Ray today awarded this year's $100,000 grand prize to Central California SPCA in Fresno, Calif. and a $25,000 Community Engagement Award to Kansas City Pet Project in Kansas City, Mo. In total, $550,000 in grant funding was awarded today to help competing shelters continue to save even more lives, and more than $2 million has been awarded to shelters in 38 states during the five years of the contest.

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.  

About the ASPCA®
Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) is the first animal welfare organization in North America and serves as the nation's leading voice for animals. More than two million supporters strong, the ASPCA's mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach and animal health services. For more information, please visit www.ASPCA.org, and be sure to follow the ASPCA on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

About Rachael Ray
Rachael Ray is best known as the host of the hit syndicated Emmy Award winning daytime television show "Rachael Ray" produced by CBS Television Distribution in association with Harpo Productions, Scripps Networks and Watch Entertainment. Rachael's warmth, energy, and boundless curiosity also reach millions of fans through her popular Food Network shows, her lifestyle magazine Everyday with Rachael Ray, her bestselling cookbooks, her digital home base www.rachaelray.com, her signature line of cookware manufactured by Meyer, her meal transport products by RR Accessories and her pantry products by Colavita. In 2007, Rachael launched the Yum-o! organization, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering kids and their families to develop healthy relationships with food and cooking and in 2008 she partnered with Ainsworth Pet Nutrition to create a line of pet food with her proceeds being donated to organizations that help animals in need. For more information, visit www.rachaelray.com.

About Rachael's Rescue ™ and Nutrish
In 2008, Rachael Ray partnered with pet nutrition experts from Ainsworth Pet Nutrition to develop a line of food and treats for dogs called Rachael Ray Nutrish®, and in 2014 introduced Nutrish for Cats, a line of natural food for cats. Rachael Ray Nutrish® for dogs is designed to meet a variety of nutritional needs, from Super Premium natural nutrition (original Nutrish recipes), to limited ingredient nutrition (Nutrish Just 6), to grain-free recipes (Nutrish Zero Grain), as well as six flavors of natural Wet Foods for Dogs (Nutrish Naturally Delish) and Nutrish Treats for Dogs. Rachael Ray Nutrish® for cats is offered in both dry and wet formulas, with real meat like chicken or fish as the first ingredient in the recipes. Rachael's proceeds from each sale are donated to organizations that help animals in need through Rachael's Rescue^TM.

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SOURCE ASPCA