Conflict of interest 'dogs' America's Favorite Animal Shelter contest

Over 13,000 animal shelters from across the United States and Canada are currently vying for a $15,000 prize in the America's Favorite Animal Shelter contest, however, many shelter owners are claiming that an advertising campaign on the contest page by the ASPCA may indicate that the winner has already been decided ahead of the July 10th deadline.

The America's Favorite Animal Shelter contest being hosted on the Care2.com website is offering prizes totaling $30,000 to animal shelters who are able to recruit individuals to vote for them as their favorite shelter for awards worth $3,000, $7,000 and a top prize of $15,000 being donated by Adopt-a-Pet.com and Care2.com.

The contest has seen numerous contestants fall in and out of the top five leader board, but it was Missouri contest latecomer Joplin Humane Society, who from relative obscurity, came from behind the pack to reach the top spot and remain there with a sizeable lead that has some contestants crying foul.

The main contest page on Care2.com predominantly displays fundraising advertisements for Joplin area shelters by the ASPCA which is one of the charter sponsors of the event and a past donor of $100,000 to the Joplin Humane Society in the aftermath of an F5 tornado that ravaged the Missouri community.

The rapid rise in popularity of the Joplin Humane Society in the contest leader board, combined with the Joplin-specific campaign ads by the ASPCA has raised the suspicion of many of the contestants that the $15,000 was as good as gone when the Joplin shelter entered the contest.

Senior Manager of Media & Communications for the ASPCA Alison M. Jimenez refused comment about the claims by contestants that the advertisements by the ASCPA showed either a collaboration with the Joplin Humane Society or could be construed as a conflict of interest, but stated that "Receiving an ASPCA grant or any type of support at any point has no bearing on this contest or the 13,000+ shelters participating in the contest."

The entirety of the statement put out by Alison M. Jimenez exclusively to the National Animal Action Examiner column did not address any of the issues with the advertising campaign, those responsible for ad placement or the concerns put forward by contestants about the authenticity of the voting process or the impartiality of the ASPCA as a sponsor.

The lack of appropriateness being claimed by contestants of allowing the Joplin Humane Society into the contest after receiving a $100,000 disaster relief grant from the ASPA in recent months was deflected back at the contestants themselves with a claim that those complaining now could have simply applied for grants in the past.

"The ASPCA would be thrilled to receive qualified grant applications from the other 12,999 shelters in the contest," explains Alison M. Jimenez, "and we encourage shelters across the country to apply regularly for grant funding from the ASPCA."

Records supplied to the National Animal Action Examiner column by several contestants of the contest showed denied or pending requests for the grants that Jimenez suggested contestants had not applied for in the past.

The Joplin Humane Society was quick to come to the defense of the ASPCA and their relationship with the organization stating that they are perhaps more deserving than other shelters who have not suffered an F5 tornado recently.

"Joplin Humane Society also desperately needs the funds," explained Karen Aquino, executive director of the Joplin Humane Society. "Perhaps MORE so than agencies who have not been hit by an F5 tornado that wiped out a third of their city, displacing thousands of animals."

Added Aquino, "The ASPCA has spent an inordinate amount of money assisting the citizens and animals of Joplin. They are a donor based organization and must continue to solicit funds so that they can continue to assist other communities."

One shelter willing to respond to the statements made by both the ASPCA and the Joplin Humane Society did so under the guarantee of anonymity due to fears of retaliation or retribution by the governing bodies of the America's Favorite Animal Shelter contest.

"The ASPCA has clearly overstepped its boundaries here," says the anonymous shelter owner, "by explicitly asking for donations for the Joplin area while a Joplin shelter is competing in the contest, and with a $100,000 ASPCA grant under its belt.

"From what I understand the $100,000 grant was awarded soley for disaster efforts in the Joplin area, which is definitely needed, but by their own admission the Joplin Humane Society is also benefiting from the 'inordinate amount of money' being spent there already by the ASPCA," claims the anonymous shelter.

Adds anonymous, "It's just extremely interesting to see that the Joplin Humane Society is being given a free pass to funds by the ASPCA that are desperately needed by countless other shelters, and then having the audacity to claim they deserve the funds more than the other hard working shelter owners around the country because of the tornado."

A request to the ASPCA to clarify their position regarding the questions and concerns that Alison M. Jimenez refused comment on was not returned, nor did Care2.com reply to the original request for comment regarding the issues over the conflict of interest in the contest.

Advertisements by the ASPCA calling for donations for Joplin charities on the contest page for the America's Favorite Animal Shelter Contest were removed today without explanation.

Editor's Note:  After publication of this article, the ASCPA has confirmed that due to the complaints raised by the National Animal Action Examiner that the ads in question have been removed from rotation on the Care2.com contest page.

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