ASPCA Awarded Over $1.4 Million in Subaru "Share the Love" Event

NEW YORK— The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) today announced that it has been awarded more than $1.4 million in funding from Subaru of America, Inc. as a result of its participation in the Subaru “Share the Love” event. Sixty-two percent of the donation the ASPCA received already has been earmarked for the ASPCA’s “Share the Love” Grant Program for shelters in all 50 states.  To-date, approximately $884,000 has been distributed to local shelters.

“Year after year, we’re honored and overwhelmed by just how much Subaru customers care about their pets,” said Elysia Howard, vice president of marketing & licensing for the ASPCA. “In 2011, the ASPCA was able to distribute more than $15 million in the form of 1,300 grants to 740 animal welfare organizations in all 50 states. The funding from the “Share the Love” event will enable us to save more animals through our national programs and give even more to shelters and rescue groups across the country in the coming year.”

During the “Share the Love” event, which ran from November 19, 2011 to January 3, 2012, Subaru pledged to donate $250 for every new Subaru vehicle sold or leased to the customer’s choice of one of the following five charities: the ASPCA, American Forests, Make-A-Wish Foundation®, Meals On Wheels Association of America and Special Olympics.

“Our new car owners helped us give more than $5 million to charities in just six short weeks of Share the Love,” said Dean Evans, senior vice president and CMO, Subaru of America, Inc. “We’re proud to have donated more than $20 million to worthy charities over the last four years, helping them carry out the vital work they do every day.”

As part of “Share the Love,” the ASPCA also worked closely with Subaru dealerships across the country to help them partner with local animal shelters and host a range of events including pet adoption, food donation drives, holiday pet picture-taking, pet ID-tagging and micro-chipping.  As a result, approximately 100 events took place, more than 1,000 dogs and cats – and even two horses – were adopted, and $121,000 was raised for local shelters.

The ASPCA also held a shelter incentive contest during “Share the Love,” and the following winners were selected to receive a total of $35,000 in grants from the ASPCA, awarded as follows:

• 1st prize (winners of a $20,000 grant): Protection of Animals in Wakefield Society (PAWS) - in partnership with Subaru of Wakefield in Wakefield, Mass.

• 2nd prize (winners of a $5,000 grant): Friends of Sangamon County - in partnership with Green Family Subaru in Springfield, Ill.

• 3rd prize (each winners of $2,000 grants):

• Spokanimal - in partnership with Appleway Subaru in Spokane, Wash.
• Irvine Animal Care Center - in partnership with Irvine Subaru in Irvine, Calif.
• Charlotte Mecklenburg Animal Care & Control – in partnership with Subaru South Blvd in Charlotte, N.C.
• Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region – in partnership with Heuberger Subaru in Colorado Springs, Colo.
• Kent County SPCA – in partnership with Dover Subaru in Camden, Del.

In addition to supporting the ASPCA through its annual “Share the Love” event, Subaru supports other key ASPCA initiatives including Team ASPCA, the upcoming ASPCA Mega Match-a-thon event and the National Spay/Neuter project.