Betty White Challenge brings in nearly $100,000 for two Philly animal shelters

In the weeks since beloved television star Betty White died, a lesser-known part of her legacy has seen thousands of dollars donated to animal shelters and animal welfare organizations: her lifelong love of animals.

For what would have been her 100th birthday on Monday, White’s fans have donated to animal welfare organizations across the country, part of what’s been called Betty White Challenge — people inspired by White donating and contributing to animal rescue and welfare organizations in her name.

The donations flooded local animal welfare organizations, including PAWS Philadelphia.

“A couple of weeks ago, we started seeing an outpouring of support,” said Liberty Britton, spokesperson for PAWS. “People donating to PAWS and writing in the donation that this gift was in honor and celebration of Betty White and her legacy of supporting animals and really fighting for animal welfare.”

White had been a lover of animals and an advocate for their humane treatment. When she was a little girl, her family took in animals that needed shelter during the Great Depression. In the late 1960s, after the Los Angeles Zoo opened, White became one of the zoo’s biggest advocates, donating thousands of dollars over the years, and joined the zoo’s board of trustees in 1974.

And in 2005, during Hurricane Katrina, White even paid for a plane to relocate penguins and otters to another aquarium, the Audubon Nature Institute tweeted.

PAWS set up the Thank You for Being a Friend fund, named after the theme song for the White-starring Golden Girls, where people could donate to help animals in need.

Since White’s death on Dec. 31, nearly $45,000 has been donated in White’s name to PAWS, said Britton.

“We didn’t know it was going to be such a big part of the support we could count on at the beginning of the year,” she said. “We’ve exceeded [our] wildest dreams.”

At the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, donations reached around $50,000 by Monday, which spokesperson Gillian Kocher said was “amazing.” All but a handful of donations that came in over the weekend were made in Betty White’s name, she said.

On the Venmo page for Home at Last Dog Rescue, a Montgomery County-based animal rescue organization, donation after donation could be seen in White’s name.

“For Betty White’s Birthday. Thank you for all that you do!” read one donation.

As donations continued to come even beyond White’s birthday, local organizations like PAWS and the PSPCA were happy to receive the boost of support on White’s behalf, a lifesaving legacy.

“I can’t imagine another day like that in history where everyone is donating to their local animal shelters,” said Kocher. “Lots of lives saved yesterday in Betty’s name.”