Why Kick a Gift Horse in the Mouth

Dr. Marty Becker of the Pet Connection

What happens when Dr. Marty Becker and the Pet Connection announces a contest that will award $70,000 in prizes split amongst several organizations? 13,000+ people nominate their favorite animal rescue organizations. The 13,000+ nominations were then narrowed down to 50 organizations which were chosen at random (as the rules stated they would be) to be in the finals. And that’s were the no good deed goes unpunished rule comes in.

I am sure that every organization that was nominated has a compelling story to tell about why they need the $20,000 grand prize more then any other organization.  We all know donations are slow and intake is on the rise. Every organization has a special animal that needs extra medical care or are in need of new kennels or a facility expansion. Every extra dollar that comes in counts. So why then if you were not in the top 50 which again was chosen by a random generator would you cry foul and start saying how the nomination process was fixed. How you should have won because your organization is so much better because it rescues 1,000 cows a year compared to the organization that rescued 50 turtles. That because you had more nominations then the organization that saves camels, you clearly should have been chosen because you do more important work? No matter if some of the organization deemed themselves large or small everyone had a gripe about the process.

According to Gina Spadafori who works along side Dr. Marty Becker “it was very very important that small groups get to play. We wanted a contest that wouldn’t automatically make the rich richer. And we got it. An incredible diversity of groups, in terms of size, geography and even species.” Here is the full list of the finalists which we hope you will check out and hopefully find one that you would like to help support win the prize. Read the full contest details here. If you find an organization you would like to vote for here.

1. Animal Friends of the Valleys
2. ARME (Animal Rescue, Media & Education)
3. Blind Cat Rescue & Sanctuary
4. Central Brevard Humane Society
5. Charm City Animal Rescue
6. Chicago Pet Rescue
7. Clinton County Humane Society
8. Dane County Humane Society
9. Detroit Dog Rescue
10. Exeter Animal Shelter
11. Fallbrook Animal Sanctuary
12. FOWA Friends of Wayne Animals
13. Found Chicago
14. Furry Friends Refuge
15. Genesis Animal Rescue
16. Goliath and Bebe’s World
17. Great Lakes Bengal Rescue
18. Heartland Animal Shelter
19. Heartland Lab Rescue
20. HELP
21. Help Humane
22. Helping Paws Pet Rescue
23. Homeward Trails Animal Rescue
24. Hound Haven
25. Humane Society of Dallas County
26. Humane Society of West Alabama
27. Humane Society of Yuma
28. Itty Bitty Kitty
29. Lab Rescue of the LRCP
30. Legacy Boxer Rescue
31. Lifeline For Pound Buddies Rescue
32. Long Island Bulldog Rescue
33. Marley’s Mutts Dog Rescue
34. Midwest Rabbit Rescue and Rehome
35. New Rattitude
36. OK Yorkie Rescue
37. Partners4pets
38. Paws and Prayers Pet Rescue
39. Perfect Pets Rescue
40. Pets Unlimited
41. Precious Secrets Sheltie Rescue
42. Ruff Love Rescue
43. Sacramento County Department of Animal Care and Regulation
44. Save1Pet
45. Save-A-Pet
46. Southern California Pomeranian Rescue
47. Take Me Home Rescue
48. Valley of the Sun Giant Schnauzer Rescue
49. Villalobos Rescue Center
50. Woodruff County Animal Rescue Friends

As someone who sees maybe 1/100 of the pleas for help that an organization like theirs gets it can be heart breaking not to be able to help everyone every time they ask for it. The people at Pet Connection are to be commended for using their resources to go to the big companies and ask them to fund this and other contests through donations of pet food, pet products, and dollars. Yes the contest gave them more publicity but it is that exposure and publicity that the brands want to see if they are going to get on board with an event like this. Giant contests like this wouldn’t be possible without a Social Media powerhouse like Dr. Becker putting his name on it. The contest brought exposure to all of the Rescues nominated because people could see all the nominations and check them out for themselves. Fans and friends of the individual rescues posted on their Facebook wall, sent emails, tweeted, and told their friends about the contest. This social media shout out and request gave each organization countless opportunities to have new fan and volunteers.

For those organizations who read the rules and participated for the chance to win, who put their best foot forward, and have lost with grace congratulating the 50 finalist you are to be commended. We do understand what $20,000 means to a rescue organization we wish every organization that was nominated could have been in the top 50 its hard to see that amount of money which is so needed by your organization so close to your grasp yet so far away. By congratulating those who did win you are showing through your words and actions that it is about the animals that are helped, the lives saved, and the love and compassion give to these animals in need that matter most to you. Which speaks volumes about you and your organizations.

For those crying foul and saying the contest was fixed do you understand how frustrating it is to run an event like this were the hope is to give exposure to as many different organizations as possible? Not only do the attacks hurt those who are trying to make it fair for everyone but each time something like this happens those in charge just think why bother trying to help if the organizations are going to be mean and nasty if they loose? Any event takes time and manpower to run that could easily be used somewhere else but when you care about animals and see a way you can help give exposure to countless organizations you think your time and effort will be worth it. Each nasty comment breaks the organizers down just a little bit more until they have no more to give which means that animals are the ones who loose out. I am sorry that your Iguana Rescue didn’t make it to the top 50 but hopefully you received exposure you wouldn’t have gotten otherwise and you can now start a conversation with your new fans and find volunteers, supporters, and friends who can help your organization succeed.