Virtual Cat Show Takes Place June 6 ? 26th Online; Winning Cat Earns $35,000 for Shelter
WASHINGTON, DC ? The Washington Animal Rescue League is one of eight Washington, DC-area organizations selected to take part in the first ?Meow Madness? Virtual Cat Show, to take place online, June 6-26.
?Meow Madness?, a Virtual Cat Show based loosely on the annual college basketball tournament, is sponsored by Best in Shelter, an organization established by best-selling mystery author and animal welfare activist Martha Grimes. This is a follow up to Best in Shelter?s virtual dog show in 2012 that was an immediate online success with more than 51,000 votes cast. ?Meow Madness? will be held in June during National Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat Month. Grimes established ?Best in Shelter? to promote the adoption of shelter and rescue animals. Its mission is to blot out stereotypes of shelter animals being untrained, unkempt, unworthy?the opposite of show animals?and to raise awareness of what the shelters and rescues have to offer.
?We?re thrilled to have been chosen to participate in ?Meow Madness,?? said Washington Animal Rescue League CEO Bob Ramin. ?Best in Shelter and particularly Martha Grimes, have been loyal and active animal welfare advocates and we?re proud to compete in a friendly competition organized by such dedicated people. We had good success in 2012 and we know that our supporters will have our cats in the running again this year!?
The competition features eight organizations in a four-round elimination tournament.
Voting will take place on www.bestinshelter.org via Facebook. Once the competition begins, the public will be encouraged to log on and vote for their favorite cat. Best in Shelter will award each participating organization a $1,000 grant at the beginning of ?Meow Madness.? The winners of the first, second and third round will receive $2,000, $4,000 and $10,000, respectively. In the final round of voting, the winning cat will be awarded $35,000 for his or her shelter.
The Washington Animal Rescue League is in the process of selecting two cats to compete, and will give supporters a ?sneak peak? soon via www.warl.org and www.facebook.com/WARLDC.
About the Washington Animal Rescue League
The oldest animal shelter in the District of Columbia, the Washington Animal Rescue League?s mission is to honor and strengthen the human-animal bond by providing the best quality care for homeless dogs and cats, and supporting companion animals in their homes through affordable veterinary care, community outreach and education. WARL?s facility is painstakingly designed from the animals? point of view to make it one of the most humane animal shelters in the world. The full-service Medical Center serves the general public as well as the companion animals of low-income pet guardians. The Medical Center also cares for our shelter animals. The Washington Animal Rescue League is located at 71 Oglethorpe Street, NW, Washington, DC. . Visit www.warl.org and lend us your support.