Betty White, perhaps best known for her role on the hit TV show The Golden Girls, passed away at the age of 99, just shy of her 100th birthday. Apart from her notable and long-lasting acting career, White was a true advocate for animals.
In the 2011 CBS Sunday Morning special with Katie Couric, White said her passion for animals started “in the womb” and admitted she did prefer animals over humans. She was a long-time supporter of the SPCA LA, partnered with the Morris Animal Foundation to create the Betty White Wildlife Rapid Response Fund, and sat on the board of the Los Angeles County Zoo (dogtime.com).
Depending on your age group, you may or may not have known that White created a show in the early 1970’s called The Pet Set. The show featured different celebrities with their pets on stage to discuss animal health and welfare, as well as exotic animals and preservation (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0300838/).
White’s passion and support for animals spans decades and since her passing the #bettywhitechallenge has become a viral sensation across the internet. The challenge calls for everyone to donate as little as $5.00 on January 17, 2022 to a local animal shelter or rescue of their choice, on what would have been Betty White’s 100th birthday.
With the on-going pandemic, animal shelters are in need just as much, if not more, than they were in the last two years. Many shelters are experiencing short-staffing, higher-than-usual animal inventories, and an increased number of animal surrenders due to the financial impact of COVID-19 (National Animal Care and Control Association). This challenge not only honors the late Betty White but has the potential to impact hundreds of shelters across the nation, changing an animal’s life for the better.
Stay tuned for further updates on this challenge with the SPCA of Tompkins County and other local shelters.
~Written by Suzette Moschetti
Maddie’s® Shelter Medicine Program Coordinator
