Have you registered for the Open Arms Challenge yet? Registration is now open and will close on Monday, August 30.

With 15 national organizations collaborating, a chance at $200,000 in grant prizes and lots of guidance along the way, this may be the most impactful challenge yet! This Challenge is all about opening our hearts and minds to more accessible and inclusive practices.

The goal of this Challenge is to increase inclusivity and provide a welcoming environment for all community members. What that looks like is different for every organization. It can be as simple as providing literature in multiple languages or returning voicemails in a timely manner to completely redoing the adoption application, undertaking bias training or focusing on neighborhoods where adoption events were not previously held.

This Challenge is funded by Maddie’s Fund and Michelson Found Animals Foundation, in collaboration with Adopt-A-Pet.com, Adoptimize, American Pets Alive!, ASPCA, The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement, Best Friends Animal Society, Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity (CARE), HeARTs Speak, Humane Society of the United States, National Animal Care and Control Association,  Petco Love, Petfinder Foundation, and PetSmart Charities.

We hope you will join us. Register today.