June has ended and with it goes the first month of the $100K Challenge. For those unfamiliar with what this means, The Rachael Ray ASPCA $100K Challenge is a contest that "challenges" 50 shelters nationwide to save more animals from June 1st to August 31st 2013 than they did in the same time period in 2012. PARL's number is 398. That is, PARL saved 398 animals from June 1st to August 31st 2012. So, how are we doing so far? Here is a quick recap of June activities:

• PARL cared for over 240 animals in the month of June. 
• 90 animals were sent into foster care
• PARL vaccinated and provided spay/ neuter services for over 100 animals through the Pets for Life and SNAP programs
• 144 animals were adopted (with 30 adoptions occurring in the last two days of the month!)

The numbers above are great but they do not show the whole picture. They don't show the hard work that PARL staff and volunteers do behind the scenes each day. PARL staff and volunteers are spread way too thin. Dealing with stress is part of their routine, especially when they are caring for over 200 animals each day. Despite this fact, they continue to solider on. Why don't they give up? They do it for cats like Lizzie, a cat that had been at PARL since November 2012. They do it for Sindel, a behaviorally challenged dog in need of manners and love. Both were adopted this past weekend. They do it for the most important number of all: one. The give all they have for the one animal in front of them.

When I step back and look at the bigger picture for PARL I like to focus on how we will help more animals tomorrow than we did yesterday. This will always be the goal, but we will get there only if we never forget that this work is always about helping the one animal in front of you. So, how is PARL doing? We are treating every animal as an individual. We are finding ways to expand our audience of adopters. We are focusing on where we need to go to save more lives. In my eyes we have already won the challenge, maybe not officially. We have won because we are challenging ourselves to save more lives every day.