Events

Fan of the Emmys? So are we! Tonight we’ll be joining Gracey the Tiniest Tiger as she hosts the popular Red Carpet Cat Academy Award Twitter Party LIVE from Hollywood. Simply follow #RedCarpetCat on Twitter to mingle with the stars as Gracey tweets photos from our special pre-emmy gifting suite.

But that’s not all! While Gracey is rubbing paws with animal-loving celebs, Event Barkers will keep the Twitter party moving with fun trivia questions and swag bag giveaways every 10 minutes—these are the very same gifts celebrities will be receiving at the Red Carpet Lounge Gifting Suite in Beverly Hills.

Join us tonight, September 19, from 8:30 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. (EDT). What are you waiting for? RSVP for the #RedCarpetCat Twitter Party!

See you there!

Smitten by kittens? Well, good news—we’re transforming our mobile adoption unit into a Kitten Karavan this weekend! The ASPCA Adoption Center has received an overwhelming number of young kittens this summer, and we’re taking them on the road in an effort to find them loving homes.

“No kitten should have to grow up in a shelter, but unfortunately that’s what we have been seeing these past few months,” says Gail Buchwald, Senior Vice President of the ASPCA’s Adoption Center. “We are urging everyone who has considered adopting to come to our Kitten Karavan this weekend and help us empty our cages.”

Adoption fees for kittens younger than four months are just $99 and $50 for all kittens and cats ages four months to three years. Plus, the Buddy System is in full swing—adopt one kitten and you can bring home another for no additional fee.

Where: St. Anthony’s Market
             West Houston Street between Thompson and MacDougal Streets
             Manhattan, NY

When: Saturday, August 25 and Sunday, August 26, 1:00-5:00 P.M.

What to Bring: In order to adopt, potential adopters should bring the following: two forms of identification, one with their current address (such as a utility bill) and one government-issued photo ID (such as a driver’s license, passport, military ID, or non-driver ID). Adopters may also be asked to provide one personal reference, reachable by phone. The ASPCA strongly encourages all members of the household to come to the van to meet their potential pet.

For more information about adopting a new pet, please visit our Adoption Center online. 

Oh, it’s on! The 2012 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge is officially underway starting August 1—and, for the third year in a row, shelters around the country are in a race to save more animals’ lives.

What is the $100K Challenge, you ask? In a nutshell, 50 animal shelters will spend the next three months working tirelessly to increase the number of adoptions over last year. The winning shelter will receive a $100,000 grant from the ASPCA to continue its life-saving work—and other contestants will vie for a chance to bring home additional grant prizes.

Join Us for Kick-Off Weekend!
Next weekend, we’ll be rooting for Challenge contestants as they host special kick-off adoption events! Follow @ASPCALive as we bring you all the minute-by-minute action. Using the hashtag #100KChallenge, you’ll be able to join the conversation—and help your favorite shelter find homes for even more animals!

To find a kick-off event near you, please visit our 2012 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge events page!

Ricochet is a “SURFice” dog for disabled surfers.

Guest blog written by Ed Sayres, ASPCA President & CEO.

Last fall, I was honored to present at the ASPCA’s annual Humane Awards Luncheon the "Dog of the Year" award to a beautiful Golden Retriever named Ricochet. The competition was steep, as we were inundated with stories of dog heroes doing extraordinary things. Despite the number of super dog candidates, Ricochet stood out because of all she has done and continues to do for people and animals in need.

Ricochet’s guardian recognized her dog's special qualities when she was a puppy being trained to be a service dog to a person with a disability. Little Ricochet's spirit held her back as a service dog: Her desire to chase birds meant that she might be too lively for life as a service dog. Instead, through happenstance Ricochet became a surfer. Not just any surfer, but a surfer who was riding waves to help others.

In 2009, Ricochet was surfing next to a quadriplegic surfer and decided to abandon her board to jump onto his as they neared the shoreline. From that moment, Ricochet became a “SURFice” dog for disabled surfers. In addition to actually surfing with disabled persons, Ricochet raises funds for more than 150 human and animal causes.

We were there to cheer Ricochet on last weekend at the 7^th Annual Loews Coronado Bay Resort Surf Dog Competition in San Diego County. It was a perfect beach day with not a cloud in the sky. All types of dogs—from Pomeranians sporting sunglasses to Bulldogs wearing visors—were on the beach ready to watch the four-legged competitors.

Celebrities were on hand as well. Actor and Good Morning America contributor Cameron Mathison rode the surfboard with Ricochet during the tandem heat and came in second place despite having just learned to surf the day before. Clearly Ricochet is a good teacher.

More than 50 dogs competed and were scored on their confidence level, length of ride on the board and overall ability to "grip it and rip it." The dogs were all superstars. Ricochet won the large dog category; Abbie Girl, an Australian Kelpie, won the small dog category; and Zoey, a Jack Russell Terrier, won the tandem category.

This year's event raised $10,000 for the ASPCA. Congratulations to all of the athletes—canine and human—who participated in this year's Loews Surf Dog Competition!