Betty White Challenge brings tens of thousands of dollars to local animal shelters

The viral Betty White Challenge helped raise tens of thousands of dollars for Treasure Coast animal shelters in the past week, a much-needed boost for shelters that are caring for more animals late in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Betty White, a beloved comedian and actress, was a well-known pet lover and animal- welfare advocate. She died Dec. 31, less than a month before her 100th birthday. In her honor, fans across the country encouraged donations to local animal shelters and rescues on her birthday, Jan. 17. 

The Betty White Challenge for example, raised more than $20,000 Jan. 17 for Furry Friends Adoption, Clinic and Ranch in Palm City.

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"One of our biggest one-day collecting efforts," said Jason Gluck, executive director. "We were just wowed."

On top of the $20,000 raised Monday, Gluck said, an anonymous donor promised to match each dollar raised by the challenge, meaning the shelter actually will bring in more than $40,000.

"We were shocked and so pleased, because the funds were so needed," Gluck said.

For Furry Friends, the funds will go toward expanding the adoption center's capacity. It currently shelters and fosters about 180 animals, and, Gluck said, it intends to increase capacity by 20% this year. The money also will go toward day-to-day maintenance and care of animals at Furry Friends.

Other shelters saw similarly generous donations last week. H.A.L.O. No-Kill Rescue, a nonprofit shelter in Sebastian that rehabilitates abused animals, raised more than $14,000 on Jan. 17, said Allyson Bootes, director of development.

"We weren't expecting a whole lot, maybe five grand, max," she said. "But we raised more for the Betty White Challenge than we did for Giving Tuesday 2021."

Donations started trickling in as soon as White died, Bootes said. In total, the shelter has raised more than $15,000 since her death. The challenge, sh said, was especially helpful as donations had waned towards the end of 2021 — a persistent issue throughout the pandemic.

"Our donations tend to ebb and flow, similarly to how the pandemic has ebbed and flowed," she said.

Following a surge of pet adoptions and fostering in early 2020, shelters such as  H.A.L.O. have experienced another problem late in the pandemic: a surge in people giving up their animals.

Last year, H.A.L.O. saw a jump in medical and emergency-medical spending, about $50,000 more than a typical year, due to more people surrendering pets. Often, people surrendered pets because they couldn't afford to take care of their animals' medical needs, Bootes said.

"I think that's a direct correlation with rent inflation and the pandemic," Bootes said. "Just a horrible combination of things where people can't afford their pet's medical care anymore."

Money raised in the Betty White Challenge will go toward H.A.L.O.'s Angel Medical Fund, which helps care for future animals that need life-saving care, Bootes said. The shelter is also working to expand its quarantine space so it can take more animals.

The Humane Society of St. Lucie County raised about $3,400 Jan. 17, said Shannon Glendinning, chief image officer.

"The community came out and really showed their support and generosity and their love of Betty White in, I think, the best way imaginable," she said.

Donations far exceeded the Humane Society's expectations, because technically, the challenge encouraged people to donate just $5 to their local shelters, Glendinning said. 

"So many people went above and beyond, donating even more than what was suggested, which was really incredible," she said.

The Humane Society relies primarily on donations, Glendinning said. The money raised last week will be used mostly for daily care, she said, because it costs about $17 per day to care for each animal.

As the shelter has taken in more animals during the pandemic, this cost has increased.

At the end of 2021, the shelter housed 111 dogs — a major jump from about 27 dogs at the beginning of the pandemic — and 207 cats, Glendinning said. Even with some of them under foster care, daily care at the shelter costs thousands.

"What a way to honor her legacy," she said. "It's going to truly help so many animals."

Each shelter continues accepting donations on its website. — Furry Friends Adoption, Clinic and Ranch; H.A.L.O. No-Kill Rescue; and the Humane Society of St. Lucie County.

Thomas Weber is a Digital Now Reporter at TCPalm. You can reach him at thomas.weber@tcpalm.com or 813-545-9113. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.