INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Despite the community’s effort to rally votes for the Humane Society of Vero Beach and Indian River County, the agency placed third in a contest that would have won it a $1,000 “catification” makeover.
“All the organizations were so deserving,” said Humane Society spokeswoman Janet Winikoff.
Considering the Humane Society started off in 10th place with a meager 252 votes and ended with 3,529, Winikoff said she was overwhelmed by the support.
“We’re really so thankful,” she said.
The contest, sponsored by HausPanther.com, netted the Humane Society a bunkbed for one of the cat rooms at the shelter, among other parting gifts.
The winner was Cat’s Cradle Shelter, of Fargo, N.D., which garnered 5,774 votes. Second place was Puffy Paws Kitty Haven, of Englewood, Fla., with 3,861 votes.
Posted Aug. 26, 10:03 a.m.
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The deadline to vote for the Humane Society of Vero Beach and Indian River County – among nine other finalists – for a $1,000 cat room makeover has been extended to Wednesday, Aug. 28, which gives the organization a little more time to surpass a North Dakota shelter for the win.
Last Friday, the Humane Society was in last place with just 252 votes. By Monday morning, the organization had leapt ahead of almost all the other shelters with 1,612.
Cat’s Cradle Shelter in Fargo, N.D., remains in first place with 1,784 votes.
To cast a vote for the Humane Society of Vero Beach and Indian River County or for any of the other shelters, visit www.HausPanther.com, the sponsor of the contest.
First published: Aug. 23 at 2:20 p.m.
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The Humane Society of Vero Beach and Indian River County are in the running for a $1,000 prize to makeover one of its cat rooms, but the agency needs the public’s vote to win.
With just a few days remaining – the contest ends midnight Aug. 26 – the shelter is in last place with a mere 252 votes. The first place contender, Cat’s Cradle Shelter in Fargo, N.D., has a little more than 1,000 votes.
“At the moment, we’re not doing very well,” said Tim Swift, the Humane Society’s director of development.
Voting is done online at www.HausPanther.com. Only one vote per email address will be accepted.
The agency beat out more than 300 other shelters across the country to be a finalist in the competition. The top prize is a $1,000 makeover for a cat habitat. In the Humane Society’s case, Cat Room A would be remade to offer more and new places for the cats to jump, climb, hide and otherwise mingle with others.
“We were lucky enough to be selected,” Swift said, adding that they initially thought they had been passed over because the deadline for notification had come and gone and they hadn’t heard anything.
Turns out, the contest’s sponsor – HausPanther.com – received more entries and applications than anticipated and it took longer for organizers to make the short list.
Swift said winning the prize would help the Humane Society continue its goal in rehoming cats that make their way to the shelter.
They “lose their faith in humans,” Swift said of cats – more so than dogs, which makes finding new forever homes for cats a challenge.
Giving the cats more ways to interact with each other and the humans who enter their room helps to restore faith and build confidence, making them that much more likely to be placed into new, loving homes.
All the finalists will receive a prize just for having made the cut, according to HausPanther.com. Those items include gifts from Auntie Em Creations, CatsPlay.com, The Vertical Cat, HausPanther.com, Tiger Teasers, Plain Brown Tabby, and Stretch & Scratch.
The top prize winner will also get a phone consultation cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy – known for his show “My Cat From Hell” on Animal Planet – and Kate Benjamin, cat style expert and HausPanther.com founder.
The Humane Society of Vero Beach and Indian River County has been taking in unwanted animals and finding them homes since 1953, assisting approximately 6,000 each year.
For more information about the Humane Society, visit www.HSVB.org or call (772) 388-3331.
The other finalists are:
- Cat’s Cradle Shelter – Fargo, N.D.
- Colony Cats (& Dogs) – Dublin, Ohio
- Friends of Cats – El Cajon, Calif.
- HART (Homeless Animal Rescue Team of Maine) – Cumberland, Maine
- Hobo Hotel for Cats, Inc. – Lake Charles, La.
- PAWSitively Cats – Tucson, Ariz.
- Puffy Paws Kitty Haven – Englewood, Fla.
- Save The Animal Rescue Team II (S.T.A.R.T. II) – Englewood, N.J.
- Tree House Humane Society – Bucktown Branch – Chicago, Ill.
