Two Front Range shelters are finalists in a national competition that will net the winner up to $125,000 for saving the most homeless animals.
The Humane Society of Boulder Valley and the Larimer County Humane Society are among 50 shelters nationwide that are competing for the money from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. About 700 shelters applied.
The lion’s share — $100,000 — will go to the shelter that saves the most cats and dogs from Aug. 1 through Oct. 31. To qualify for the money, shelters must adopt out at least 300 more animals than they did in the same period last year.
As a side benefit, the ASPCA wants to tap into the creative ideas that shelters come up with and share them widely so that more animals can be saved for years to come.
The other $25,000 will go to the shelter that comes up with the best community engagement. This will involve the public casting votes online during two weeks in October.
Boulder Valley Humane (boulderhumane ) has set up a special campaign called the Adopt a Pet Project for community engagement to help encourage more adoptions, according to spokesperson Kim Sporrer. Those who can’t adopt are being asked to take on a “pet project” to help animals find new homes. Ideas are available on a special micro site built for the campaign: .
Larimer County Humane (larimerhumane ) will have supporting events nearly every weekend until the contest closes, said spokesperson Marcie Willms, including a pet expo and having a float and adoptable animals Aug. 28 at the Loveland Corn Roast Festival.
Sporrer and Willms both said this year’s adoption figures are up from last year’s.
For more news about Colorado animals, visit . This week, read about how animals stepped up the evolution of humans.
