‘Thank you for being a friend’: #bettywhitechallenge encourages donating to local animal shelters

ORLANDO, Fla. — Hollywood icon and animal lover Betty White would have turned 100 years old on Monday.

To honor her legacy, fans created the Betty White Challenge to encourage people to give at least $5 to their favorite animal charity and say, “Thank you for being a friend.”

Harbor House’s Paws for Peace Kennel is just one of those shelters that will benefit from donations.

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Harbor House opened its shelter in 2012 to help domestic abuse survivors escape dangerous situations without having to make the choice to leave their animals behind.

To show just how much these donations mean to animal shelters, Paws for Peace shared the story of Tank.

When Tank first moved into the emergency shelter with his person he was malnourished, had a skin disease, and was scared of everyone.

Read: #BettyWhiteChallenge raising money and awareness for animals

The shelter started working with Tank right away - getting his weight up, taking him to the vet to start antibiotics and be neutered, and reaching out to a partner animal rescue agency to help with socialization training.

Like his person, Tank had been abused.

While living in the shelter, Tank learned how to be a dog and was socialized.

Read: Betty White’s hometown celebrates beloved actress’ legacy

Unfortunately, when his person left the shelter, she had to leave Tank behind.

Tank was cared for until Harbor House was able to find a loving family to take him in.

“He is the best pup! He loves to run around with my other dog and is very healthy and energetic. He is my best friend,” said Tank’s new human.

Read: Betty White died from stroke suffered 6 days earlier, death certificate confirms

This is just one of the many success stories that the #bettywhitechallenge is hoping your donations will continue to foster.

You can share your donation on social media with the hashtag #bettywhitechallenge

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