ASPCA Names Gunther winner of the Meet Your Match Adopt-a-Bull Contest

The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) today announced that Gunther a.k.a. Ghost, a calm and gentle deaf Pit Bull from Gulfport, Miss., has been chosen as the third quarter winner of the ASPCA®’s Meet Your Match® “Adopt-a-Bull” Contest.

“We are thrilled to award Gunther and his family,” said ASPCA President & CEO Ed Sayres. “Gunther has shown that he is a true ambassador to the breed, and thanks to the shelter’s participation in the ASPCA®’s Meet Your Match® program and ‘Adopt-a-Bull’ contest, he was given a second chance to thrive in a loving home.”

Gunther and his pet parent Rebecca Hengen will receive an ASPCA prize package, and the Humane Society of South Mississippi will be awarded a $4,000 grant; both the winning pet-parent pair and the shelter will automatically be entered to win the grand prize in the “Vote for Your Favorite Match" online contest which will take place in February 2009.

Rebecca adds, “I hope to enroll Gunther in some dog training classes, possibly with the long term plan of teaching him to be a therapy dog. I feel he would be especially great with hearing-impaired children! Gunther is a wonderful dog, and he has added so much joy to my life."

“We are so excited that Gunther and Rebecca’s story is going to be shared with everyone,” said Christine Harris, Humane Education Manager at HSSM. “It is so heartwarming, and certainly is proof positive that so-called “bully breed” dogs can be wonderful, gentle pets who are ambassadors for their entire species! Winning this contest has really strengthened everyone at HSSM’s resolve to work hard to promote the adoption of the hundreds of pit bulls who come to our shelter every year.”

The “Adopt-a-Bull” Contest, sponsored by Animal Farm Foundation, seeks to recognize and celebrate American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers and dogs that appear to be predominantly of that type living in loving homes that were matched with their owners through the ASPCA®’s Meet Your Match® Canine-ality™ Adoption Program. The ASPCA®’s Meet Your Match® program is a scientific, research-based adoption tool aimed at creating better matches between prospective pet parents and animals based on accurate behavior assessments for the animals and understanding an individual adopter’s lifestyle and expectations. The program has proven to be extremely successful in increasing adoptions and reducing returns at shelters.

“We are pleased to congratulate the Humane Society of South Mississippi – and Rebecca – for treating Gunther as an individual and giving him the chance to really shine,” said Jane Berkey, President of Animal Farm Foundation. “Gunther is now a cherished member of the family in his new home, and nothing could make us happier.”

The Adopt-a-Bull contest ran throughout the year 2008, with one winner announced each quarter. Each winner has been automatically entered into a contest for the grand prize. The grand prize winner will then be selected in 2009 via an online public vote. The prize package for quarterly winners includes a $4,000 grant for the shelter, and an ASPCA Collection gift package for the winning pit-pet parent match. The grand prize shelter winner will receive an all expenses paid trip to New York City in April 2009 to participate in the ASPCA’s Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month celebration and a $5000 grant for their shelter. The grand prize pet-parent winner will receive a photo shoot with a professional photographer and a bronze of their pet.

About the ASPCA®

Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) was the first humane organization established in the Americas, and today has more than one million supporters throughout North America. A 501 [c] [3] not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. The ASPCA provides local and national leadership in animal-assisted therapy, animal behavior, animal poison control, anti-cruelty, humane education, legislative services, and shelter outreach. The New York City headquarters houses a full-service, accredited, animal hospital, adoption center, and mobile clinic outreach program. The Humane Law Enforcement department enforces New York’s animal cruelty laws and is featured on the reality television series “Animal Precinct” on Animal Planet. For more information, please visit www.aspca.org.