Furry Tails: Honoring Betty White On Her 100th Birthday

By: Heather Lang/KDKA-TV

UPDATE (Jan. 20, 2022) -- The results are in for Animal Friends, too. They received over $35,000 in donations to the #BettyWhiteChallenge.

UPDATE (Jan. 18, 2022) -- The results are in for Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh. They received nearly $40,000 from 1,274 donors to the #BettyWhiteChallenge.

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Betty White spent her long and legendary life advocating for animals.

No matter how big or small, she cared. She sat on the board of American Humane and supported a number of other organizations. For nearly 100 years, she stood up for humane rights. Her memory continues to do the same now.

Her love for animals lives on through the #BettyWhiteChallenge.

WATCH: Bryant Reed reports

Thought up by fans and carried through to the mainstream by animal lovers, the campaign has gone viral. It's urging everyone to donate to their local animal shelter or rescue in Betty White's memory.

Animal rescues and shelters across the country are seeing a big response.

Pittsburgh area shelters are getting involved, too.

Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh says they have received more than $1,000 in donations since Betty White died on Dec. 31, 2021.

They are urging Pittsburghers to donate what they can on what would have been Betty White's 100th birthday — Jan. 17. All donations are used to care for sick, injured and neglected animals in their shelter and at their wildlife clinic.

Animal Friends and Paws Across Pittsburgh are doing the same.

Paws Across Pittsburgh:

Betty White worked tirelessly to speak for those who could not speak themselves. The shelters and rescues in our area do the same.

Animal Friends wants to honor her for her work and for being so inspirational.

"What an incredible woman. Like many organizations around the country, we want to honor her and her legacy while encouraging the community to donate to Animal Friends or another organization of their choice to support the efforts that she so passionately advocated for," Cody Hoellerman, of Animal Friends, said.

Animal Friends:

If you would like to honor Betty White by giving to animals, here are a few of the shelters and rescues in the Pittsburgh area.

• Pennsylvania SPCA
• Animal Friends
• Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh
• Paws Across Pittsburgh
• Cross Your Paws
• Animal Lifeline Pittsburgh
• Orphans of the Storm Kittanning
• Beaver County Humane Society
• Butler County Humane Society
• The Animal Friends of Westmoreland

For the beloved Betty White, loving animals came naturally. It's a lesson she's teaching us even though she's gone.

"I'm not preaching, but maybe I learned it from my animal friends: kindness and consideration for somebody besides yourself," White told "CBS Sunday Morning" in 2011. "And I think that keeps you feeling young, I really do."

Maybe we can all live and love a little more like Betty White, giving our hearts to the people and creatures that need it most.
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Stay tuned animal lovers for more Furry Tails! You can follow me on Twitter at @HeatherLang24

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