This Challenge was all about getting pets back to where they want to be through Return to Home programs and was funded by Maddie’s Fund®, Michelson Found Animals Foundation and Petco Love in collaboration with Adopt-A-Pet.com, American Pets Alive!, ASPCA, The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement, Best Friends Animal Society, Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity (CARE), Community Cats Podcast, Cuddly, Greater Good Charities, HeARTS Speak, Humane Society of the United States, National Animal Care and Control Association, Petfinder Foundation, and PetSmart Charities.

From October 1 to October 31, 2022, a total of 140 organizations across the United States participated in this challenge and collectively completed 10,324 reunions (5,536 dogs and 4,788 cats)!

Please help us congratulate our winners! Maddie’s Fund, Michelson Found Animals Foundation and Petco Love awarded prizes for Best Overall Effort, Robust Programs, and Use of Practices, plus 10 Random Winners, as follows.

Best Overall Effort ($15,000)

  • Peoria County Animal Protection Services, Peoria, IL

Robust Programs ($10,000)

  • Heartland Humane Society, Yankton, SD •Kansas City Pet Project, Kansas City, MO •South Suburban Humane Society, Matteson, IL

Most Effective Use of Return to Home Practices ($4,375)

1. All animals in the community have identification

  • Ames Animal Shelter, Ames, IA
  • Cabot Animal Services, Cabot, AR
  • Cary Police Department Animal Services, Cary, NC
  • City of Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
  • Friends of the Animal Shelter, Aiken, SC
  • Lifeline Animal Project, Atlanta, GA
  • Macomb County Animal Control Division, Clinton Township, MI
  • Pauls Valley Animal Welfare Society, Pauls Valley, OK

2. Animals are returned in the field rather than at the shelter

  • Beauties and Beasts, Newton, KS
  • Big Bend TNR Cat Rescue, Tallahassee, FL
  • Fox Valley Humane Association, Appleton, WI
  • Haywood County Animal Shelter, Clyde, NC
  • Humane Rescue Alliance, Washington DC
  • Humane Society for Southwest Washington, Vancouver, WA
  • Humane Society of Scott County, Davenport, IA
  • Louisville Metro Animal Services, Louisville, KY

3. Return to Home policies and lost/found techniques are marketed to the community

  • Asheville Humane Society, Asheville, NC
  • Best Friends for Life, Laredo, TX
  • Cincinnati Animal CARE Humane Society, Cincinnati, OH
  • City of Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne, IN
  • Gateway Pet Guardians, East St, Louis, IL
  • Helping Hands Humane Society, Topeka, KS
  • Humane Society of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN
  • Kenai Animal Shelter, Kenai, AK

4. Organization embraces a culture of return to home

  • Chesapeake Rescue Alliance, Mechanisville, MD
  • High Desert Animal Coalition, Oak Hills, CA
  • Humane Society of Yuma, Yuma, AZ
  • Maui Humane Society, Puuene, HI
  • PAWS of Grays Harbor, Aberdeen, WA
  • Saving Grace Pet Adoption Center, Roseburg, OR
  • The Louisiana SPCA, New Orleans, LA
  • Williamson County Regional Shelter, Georgetown, TX

5. Organization works with community to help facilitate Returns to Home

  • Animal Rez-Q, Inc, Window Rock, AZ
  • Brooklyn Bridge Animal Welfare Coalition, Brooklyn, NY
  • Cheyenne Animal Shelter, Cheyenne, WY
  • Greene County Animal Control, Xenia, OH
  • Humane Society of Mason County, Allyn, WA
  • Pet Network Humane Society, Incline Village, NV
  • Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society, Philadelphia, PA
  • Tri-County Humane Society, Saint Cloud, MN

6. Technology is used to help reunite pets and owners

  • Alaska SPCA, Anchorage, AK
  • Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter, Baltimore, MD
  • Better Together Animal Alliance, Ponderay, ID
  • Capital Humane Society, Lincoln, NE
  • Ingham County Animal Control and Shelter, Mason, MI
  • Memphis Animal Services, Memphis, TN
  • Palm Valley Animal Society, Edinburg, TX
  • Washoe County Regional Animal Services, Reno, NV

7. Regulations and laws encourage Return to Home

  • Advocates for Abused and Abandoned Pets A3P, Woodbridge, VA
  • Chula Vista Animal Care Facility, Chula Vista, CA
  • Guilford County Animal Services, Greensboro, NC
  • McKamey Animal Center, Chattanooga, TN
  • Salt Lake County Animal Services, Salt Lake City, UT
  • SPCA of Winchester, Frederick, and Clarke, Winchester, VA
  • The Animal Welfare League of Charlotte Co., Punta Gorda, FL
  • Young-Williams Animal Center, Knoxville, TN

Randomly Selected Winners ($1,000)

  • Broward County Animal Care and Adoption Division, Fort Lauderdale, FL
  • Colleton County Animal Shelter, Walterboro, SC
  • Española Valley Humane Society, Española, NM
  • Granville County Animal Control, Oxford, NC
  • Humane Society of Marion County, Ocala, FL
  • Los Angeles Animal Services, Los Angeles, CA
  • Prairie Paws Animal Shelter, Ottawa, KS
  • Ramona Humane Society, San Jacinto, CA
  • Southern Pines Animal Shelter, Hattiesburg, MS
  • SPCA of Bradley County, Cleveland, TN

The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement

The following organizations received a $250 professional development, Association membership or conference credit:

  • Alaska SPCA, Anchorage, AK
  • Cary Police Department Animal Services, Cary, NC
  • Pauls Valley Animal Welfare Society, Pauls Valley, OK
  • PAWS of Grays Harbor, Aberdeen, WA
  • SPCA of Winchester, Frederick and Clarke, Winchester, VA

CUDDLY

The following organizations received a $2,5000 grant value of in-kind animal care products:

  • Chula Vista Animal Care Facility, Chula Vista, CA
  • Lifeline Animal Project, Atlanta, GA

National Animal Care and Control Association

  • Chula Vista Animal Care Facility, Chula Vista, CA: Feature in upcoming 2023 NACA Animal Care and Control News Magazine
  • Terrebone Parish Animal Shelter, Houma, LA: Feature in upcoming 2023 NACA Animal Care and Control News Magazine and one scholarship to ACOI or II
  • Williamson County Regional Shelter, Georgetown, TX: Feature in upcoming 2023 NACA Animal Care and Control News Magazine and one-year agency membership