Betty White, actress, philanthropist and animal lover would have celebrated her 100th birthday on Monday, Jan. 17. Unfortunately, the actress passed away at the age of 99, Dec. 31, 2021.
Her death caused a nation to mourn but inspired tens of thousands of people to donate to their local animal shelters in her honor under the Twitter hashtag #BettyWhiteChallenge. Donations are continuing to pour into zoos, animal charities and shelters and the Sheridan Dog and Cat Shelter is no expedition to the trend.
“We didn’t do a Betty White Challenge because it was so close to our Christmas Season of Asking,” Sheridan Dog and Cat Shelter Executive Director Jill Moriarty told Sheridan Media. “We honored Betty on our FB (Facebook) page to recognize her dedication to animals.”
Although the shelter didn’t ask people to give money in her honor, Moriarty said that didn’t stop people from remembering the icon with donations.
“Donations are still coming in so I don’t have an exact dollar amount but I would say it’s currently at $1,550,” Moriaty said.
Donations are critical to the operation and sustainability of the shelter, according to Moriarty.
“Our budget for this fiscal year (July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022) is $515,135. Our current (re-negotiated contract) with the City brings our government contributions to $126,500, (both City and County combined)” Moriarty said. “So any given year, roughly 75% of our budget relies on donations.”
Now halfway through their fiscal year, Moriarty is expecting operations costs will increase by virtue of inflation and supply chain issues.
If you would like to make a donation to the Sheridan Dog and Cat Shelter, click here.
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Last modified: January 22, 2022