Best In Shelter's 2014 "Meow Madness" Cat Adoption Competition To Begin In June

WASHINGTON, June 3, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Best in Shelter (www.bestinshelter.org), a nonprofit organization created to encourage pet adoption from local shelters and rescue organizations, is pleased to announce its 2014 virtual cat competition, "Meow Madness," to begin on Thursday, June 5, 2014. 

Based on the NCAA's "March Madness" men's basketball tournament, "Meow Madness" is a four-week elimination tournament to take place during National Adopt-A-Shelter Cat month featuring eight local animal shelters and rescue organizations.  Best In Shelter's first online pet adoption competition in 2012 celebrated dog adoption and caused a media sensation with 51,000 votes cast for 16 dogs and distributed $110,000  to four local shelters. For 2014, local New York Times bestselling mystery writer and animal rights activist Martha Grimes decided after the successful adoption of all the featured dogs, it was time to give cats their turn.

Voting will take place on the Best in Shelter website via Facebook and animal lovers are asked to cast their votes for their favorite cat.   "Meow Madness" begins on Thursday, June 5.  Each successive round of voting occurs on Thursday, June 12, Thursday June 19 and ends with the final round of voting on Thursday, June 26.  The initial 16 cats will face off in eight separate polls with the winners moving on to the next round.  The eight cats in round two will be winnowed down to 4 cats in round three.  The final two cats will compete against each other in the "Meow Madness" championship on June 26. Cats younger than one year old are not eligible for "Meow Madness."

Each participating organizations will be awarded a $1,000 grant for being selected.  The organizations will also be awarded grants as their cats move on in the tournament.  Winners of the first, second, and third rounds will receive $2,000, $4,000 and $10,000, respectively for their organizations.

At the end of the contest, the "Meow Madness" champion will have earned $52,000 for its organization and the runner-up will be awarded a total of $17,000.  By the end of the competition, Best in Shelter will have distributed $103,000 to these deserving animal shelters and rescue organizations.

The eight participating organizations are:  Animal Welfare League of Arlington; Animal Welfare League of Montgomery County; Last Chance Animal Rescue; Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation; Madison Greene Humane Society; Seniors for Seniors; Washington Humane Society; and, Washington Animal Rescue League. Each organization will enter two cats and prepare videos for the Best in Shelter website.  Details about the cats will be included and Best In Shelter encourages all potential and current pet owners to consider adopting a shelter cat.

Contact: Victoria Van Son, Phone: 202-577-6634, Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Best in Shelter