After the death of legendary actress and comedian Betty White, her fans are encouraging each other to donate $5 to animal charities in honour of her birthday on Jan. 17.
Millions of people across the world continue to mourn White after she died from a stroke on Dec. 31. She died just weeks before her 100th birthday, so to celebrate her life, her fans have decided to honour her lifelong love of animals. Along with caring for her own pets, she also worked with charities like the Los Angeles Zoo Commission, Actors and Others for Animals, the Morris Animal Foundation and the African Wildlife Foundation. White received the Humane Award from the American Veterinary Medical Association in 1987 as well as the the Jane Goodall Institute Global Leadership Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2009.
For Muskoka fans and animal lovers that want to join the challenge, here is a list of local animal charities to consider:
Aspen Valley Wildlife Rescue: Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary in Rosseau is a wildlife sanctuary dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating a wide range of animals including moose, beavers, bears and more. In addition to rehabbing and releasing wildlife, the sanctuary is also home to 30 non-releasable residents. Click here to make a donation.
Carter’s Forever Rescue & Sanctuary: Carter’s Forever Rescue & Sanctuary is a dog rescue located just outside of Bracebridge. The rescue finds homes for dogs of all ages, sizes and breeds, inspired by the story of a pit bull named Carter. Click here to make a donation.
The Cats of Paint Lake: The Cats of Paint Lake is a rescue working to help the feral cat population in Dorset and beyond. They specialize in difficult cases and in their first year of operation, they’ve assisted over 100 cats. Click here to make a donation.
The Comfie Cat Shelter: The Comfie Cat Shelter in Orillia has helped thousands of cats since their founding in 2005. They take in strays and surrenders from all over the province and for the cats they aren’t able to adopt out, they have a grumpy cat room that houses their permanent residents. Click here to make a donation.
Dorset Rescue Kittens: Dorset Rescue Kittens is an organization based in Dorset and Guelph. They take in strays and feral cats from across Ontario, rehabilitating them before finding them their forever families. Click here to make a donation.
Muskoka Animal Rescue: Muskoka Animal Rescue is a foster-based organization dedicated to improving the lives of companion animals. The rescue mainly works with cats and dogs, but they’ve also taken in guinea pigs, bunnies and even some reptiles over the years. Click here to make a donation.
Moosonee Puppy Rescue: Moosonee Puppy Rescue first launched in May 2003 and they’ve been working to help dogs from northern communities ever since. They take in dogs from the communities of Moosonee, Attawapiskat, Fort Albany and Kashechewan along with taking in the occasional surrender. Click here to make a donation.
OSPCA Muskoka Animal Centre: The OSPCA offers animal adoption, spay/neuter services and other community support services for pet owners. They also work to transport dogs from northern communities to other parts of the province where they can be rehabilitated and rehomed. Click here to make a donation.
Paws of the North Rescue: Paws of the North Rescue rehabilitates and rehomes dogs from remote and isolated northern communities that often lack access to resources and veterinary care. They also provide shipments of food and supplies along with helping to organize free spay, neuter and wellness clinics in the communities they support. Click here to make a donation.
Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary: Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary in Minden rehabilitates and releases orphaned and injured wildlife. Their recent intakes include a porcupine, several owls and a red-tailed hawk. Click here to make a donation.
Photo credit: “Betty White and Joey Lawrence introducing the Guide Dog category” by State Farm is licensed under CC BY 2.0.