Since the passing of Betty White last week, we’ve started seeing animal welfare groups on social media asking that you make a donation in her honor for her birthday. She would have turned 100th this January 17th. I like to think she’ll laugh at this and say, “Look! I’m STILL fundraising for animals… I told you I’d never retire!”
Most people seem to know she was a kind and funny person who loved animals, but not everyone knows she dedicated much of her life to animal causes. This article from Today One of Betty White’s Greatest Legacies is Helping Animals (today.com) reads like a Who’s Who in the world of animal welfare and honors her for her many contributions. Did you know she’s partly responsible for that statement in movie credits that says no animals were harmed during the making of this movie? Or that when she passed away, she was an honorary zookeeper with the American Association of Zoo Keepers? It’s crazy how many organizations she’s helped over the years and the impact her life has had on animals around the world!
Anyway, at JPI we didn’t start a campaign for local animal rescues because of the stories we read online. We’re dedicated to giving back to our communities year-round. This year as part of our end of year giving, we carved out some time and money to help local rescues overwhelmed by animals in need because of an unfortunate human-caused situation. Through “The 12 Pawesome Days of Christmas” we collected donations of food and supplies for four local rescues, made a small contribution to each of their veterinary accounts, purchased blankets and other needed items, and dedicated much of December to letting others know how much these organizations do for animals who sometimes have no other hope.
Local rescues generally operate on a shoestring, surviving in large part through the generosity of their volunteers. When they ask for help, it’s usually so they can say yes to more animals. In honor of Betty White’s upcoming birthday, we’d like to challenge you to give where your spirit moves you. If you have a heart for animals, we know of a few great local organizations who would WELCOME any contribution you make.
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