Help Pet Shelters Non-Profit Raises Almost $30,000 for Local Shelters

Help Pet Shelters this week announced that it has donated nearly $30,000 to local pet shelters across the country, on the heels of its successful “Spring Paw-Stars” contest, a March Madness-style photo tournament that featured shelter pets.

The winning pet, Graham, a 2-year-old bulldog mix with the Humane Society of Manatee County in Florida, earned his shelter a $5,000 grant.

The Help Pet Shelters campaign launched last year with a “95 percent pledge”: 95 cents of every dollar collected would be donated to a screened animal shelter in their state. The campaign has already raised about $25,000 to help local pet shelters.

The impetus for the campaign is the lack of support for local shelters from wealthy national animal groups. Despite name similarities, the ASPCA and Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) are not affiliated with local SPCAs and humane societies. Tax records show these organizations give just a small percentage of the money they raise to local pet shelters.

In its latest rating guide, CharityWatch gives the ASPCA a “C” grade and the Humane Society of the United States a “D” grade.

“If you want to help animals, keep your money local where you can see it doing good in your community firsthand,” said Will Coggin, managing director of the campaign. “Local shelters generally use your donation more effectively than bloated national groups.”

Help Pet Shelters is a project of the nonprofit Center for Organizational Research and Education, a 501(c)(3) organization. Learn more at www.HelpPetShelters.com.