tim schmidbauer JpXPDQoBAqQ unsplash copy - The We Foster Challenge winners are in!

The We Foster Challenge winners are in! This Challenge was all about strengthening the incredible bond between humans and pets through Foster Care. 

From May 1 to May 31, 2022, animal shelters and rescue organizations across the country piloted new approaches to implement or expand their foster programs.  The 247 participating organizations made their programs more accessible with easier applications and onboarding, long and short-term foster options and mentor groups, resulting in 28,805 volunteers fostering 11,344 dogs and 29,652 cats!  Programs were expanded to include all types of animals from neonatal kittens to large dogs and fospice pets.  Many of these included foster-to-adopt and Adoption Ambassador programs, with 6,738 animals adopted directly from foster homes. 

Please help us congratulate our winners! Maddie’s Fund®, Cuddly and Michelson Found Animals Foundation awarded prizes for Best Overall Efforts, Robust Programs, and Use of  Practices, plus 10 Random Winners, as follows. 

Best Overall Effort: $10,000  

  • All Fur One Pet Rescue & Adoptions, Inc., Toms River, NJ 
  • Memphis Animal Services, Memphis, TN  
  • Nine Lives Foundation, Redwood City, CA  

 Robust Programs: $5,000 

  • Animal Protective League, Springfield, IL 
  • Española Humane Society, Española, NM 
  • Grass Roots Rescue, Milton, DE 
  • Humane Society of Scott County, Davenport, IA 
  • Louisa County Animal Shelter, Mineral, VA 
  • Muttville, San Francisco, CA 
  • Pet Adoption League of Gem County, Emmett, ID 
  • Sequoia Humane Society, Eureka, CA 
  • The Animal Foundation, Las Vegas, NV 
  • The Cat House on the Kings, Parlier, CA  

Other categories include Most Effective Use of Fostering Practices Prizes at $3,000 each, and 10 random drawings at $1,000 each. See the full list.

This Challenge was funded Michelson Found Animals Foundation, Maddie’s Fund®and Cuddly in collaboration with Adopt-A-Pet.com, Adoptimize, American Pets Alive!, ASPCA, The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement, Best Friends Animal Society, Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity (CARE), Community Cats Podcast, Greater Good Charities, HeARTS Speak, Humane Society of the United States, National Animal Care and Control Association, Petco Love, and PetSmart Charities. 

Source: Chew On This