Long Island animal shelters, rescues raise nearly $99,000 through Betty White Challenge 

Animal shelters across Long Island raised thousands of dollars in a viral fundraising effort in honor of Betty White, an animal lover and advocate.

Since the Betty White Challenge took social media by storm weeks ago, scores of people across the nation have pledged money to local animal shelters. White, who died Dec. 31, would have turned 100 on Jan. 17.

As of Tuesday, about a dozen animal shelters on Long Island said they have raised nearly $98,845 through the challenge. Through Facebook and Instagram, $12.7 million was donated to shelters across the country, according to parent company Meta. Some shelters received donations of goods in addition to monetary funds. For instance, the Islip Town Animal Shelter said it received 56 boxes from Amazon purchases along with $4,205 in donations.

Last Chance Animal Rescue, a nonprofit based in Southampton, which rescues animals from high-kill shelters in the South, raised $22,203. The shelter has a farm in South Carolina where some animals that were mistreated are taken care of.

Vice President Jude Langmaid said the organization initially set "a huge goal" of $5,000 but quickly surpassed it. The rescue places 1,000 animals annually into homes, and the costs related to the operation get expensive, she said.

The donations come following a year of increased animal surrenders and mounting costs, Langmaid said.

"We saw our adoptions down and we saw our donations down," she said. "This money is really what we need to propel forward in this new year."

The Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation said it raised more than $10,000. The Hampton Bays shelter houses dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and other animals until they are adopted by new families. The shelter, which runs on donations, often has to pay emergency vet bills for animals in need of medical care.

"I am just overwhelmed by the support that we’ve had from our community, our family and friends," said shelter spokeswoman Nicole Tumilowicz. "Working here in the shelter, I see how well taken care of [the animals] are."

Last Hope Animal Rescue & Rehabilitation in Wantagh received about $16,000 in donations, said outreach coordinator Joanne Anderson, who was astonished that the majority of donations poured in on White’s birthday.

"On her birthday, [donations] exploded, like the floodgates had opened," she said.

See a breakdown of how Long Islanders donated:

By Brinley Hineman

brinley.hineman@newsday.com

Brinley Hineman covers the Town of Hempstead and the City of Long Beach for Newsday. She previously was a reporter in Nashville, Tennessee, and is a West Virginia native.