I. General Questions
II. How Am I Helping?
III. Logging in / Getting Credit
IV. Sponsorship Information
V. Link To Us
I. General Questions
How many people are racing?
As of May 9, 2008 there are 118,502
people in the Race.
What does it mean to help a pet in need?
The HSUS has several programs designed to directly assist pets in need. Through the Care2 clicks, funding is generated for HSUS's Rural Area Veterinary Services (RAVS) program. The RAVS program brings free veterinary services to poor and underserved communities in the U.S. and abroad. In 2002, the program's three full-time veterinarians and more than 400 volunteers provided veterinary care for animals on 20 different Native American reservations in the U.S., as well as in small rural communities in Appalachia, villages in Guatemala, and island nations in the Caribbean and Pacific. Spaying and neutering is just one part of helping pets in need. Many pets (and their people!) find themselves in need when confronted with certain challenges during the life of the pet. These challenges are:
- Commitment - The owner realizes that he or she obtained the animal without a firm understanding or acceptance of the commitment the relationship required.
- Behavior Problems - The animal has a behavior problem that the owner is unwilling or unable to resolve.
- Renting with Pets - The owner is moving and is unable to find suitable housing that allows pets.
- Human Health - A family member has a health problem (for example, an allergy or an infection that weakens the immune system) and the pet's primary caregiver decides to give up the pet or is counseled by a physician to remove the pet from the home.
Through HSUS's Pets for Life campaign, HSUS addresses each of these challenges. And helps keep pets and their people together.
Through the RAVS clinics, student volunteers serve as an example to young people. The only way animal care will ever improve in these communities is for children to learn that pets and other animals have innate worth and feelings. Witnessing eager, friendly veterinary students who are not afraid to expose themselves to inclement weather, cramped housing, uncooperative patients, and long hours plants the seed of compassion better than any letter or pamphlet. Perhaps the greatest benefit is that in these isolated neighborhoods, our volunteers interact with young people and provide positive role models. Trained HSUS educators speak at local schools and community functions to stimulate an interest in animal health care. Local children are encouraged to observe clinic procedures, including surgeries.
When did the Race for Pets In Need start?
The Race for Pets in Need started on April 18, 2003.
May I add a link to The Race from my website / newsletter?
Yes! We'd love to have your help! This is a race everyone wins. Click here for Race buttons and banners.
Are there other Races that I can support?
Yes! Care2 offers The Race for the Rain Forest, Race called Race for the Big Cats, the Race for the Oceans, Race for the Primates, and the Climb Against Breast Cancer You can find convenient links to all the races on the top each Race page.
Do I need to re-register for other Races?
No! You can use the same member name and password for all of Care2's Races.
What is the Race's privacy and spam policy?
When you use our online invitation form to invite a friend to enter the Race, only one email will be sent to that person. Your friend's email address will not be added to any list of any kind. If your friend decides to enter the Race, too, and clicks on the Race address in the invitation, s/he will be given the opportunity to register for the Race. If s/he opts to sign up, s/he will receive an update on the race every week, via email. This update can be disabled using the "My Settings" link found under "Race Stats" on the left hand column menu on every Race page. If your friend does not sign up, s/he will receive no additional emails from Care2.com.
What are the prizes for the winners?
Fame and Fortune! (Well, at least some fame!) We'll announce the names of the top 100 racers on Care2.com, visited by a million people each month. (Hey, this is an altruistic race for a good cause! It's a race we all win.)
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II. How Am I Helping?
Will I actually help pets in need?
Yes! You generate revenue to help animals in need when you click the "Click to Help" button. This money goes directly to The HSUS' Rural Area Veterinary Services (RAVS) program. You can click the "Click to Help" button once per day. And remember to invite all your friends to come to the site daily to click so that your team of friends maximizes your cumulative impact.
Spaying and neutering is just one part of helping pets in need. Many pets (and their people!) find themselves in need when confronted with certain challenges during the life of the pet. These challenges are:
- Commitment - The owner realizes that he or she obtained the animal without a firm understanding or acceptance of the commitment the relationship required.
- Behavior Problems - The animal has a behavior problem that the owner is unwilling or unable to resolve.
- Renting with Pets - The owner is moving and is unable to find suitable housing that allows pets.
- Human Health - A family member has a health problem (for example, an allergy or an infection that weakens the immune system) and the pet's primary caregiver decides to give up the pet or is counseled by a physician to remove the pet from the home.
Through our Pets for Life campaign we are addressing each of these challenges. And helping keep pets and their people together.
Do I really make a difference?
Certainly! Let's say you start the Race for Pets in Need on day one and tell 3 people, and they also invite 3 new people, and these 3 tell 3 more people each, who each tell 2 to 3 more people, 243 people will be Racing to help the pets in need every day, because of YOU! So, yes! Your actions do make a difference. To truly appreciate the impact you can have, visit the leader board and click on the leader's name to see how many people s/he has involved in the Race. To help even more pets, let people know about the assistance available through The HSUS Pets for Life campaign in case they face a challenge with their pet.
How do I know how many pets have been helped?
After you click the "Click to Help" button, you will see a running total of the pets people have helped. Click the links found on the left hand column for more information.
Where does the money come from to protect pets in need?
Companies pay Care2 to sponsor the Race and Care2 makes a $1 donation for every 1,000 clicks. So, please thank these companies for their sponsorships by clicking on the Sponsor banners at the bottom of the Race pages and consider buying items from our sponsors. More visits by you to our sponsors' web pages results in happy sponsors who are more likely to continue supporting the Race(s), which means more animal protection through the Race.
Where exactly are the pets I am helping?
All across the United States! Many of the pets live on Native American Reservations while others live in areas either so remote it is too far to travel for veterinary care, or residents are too impoverished to pay for care if they can find it. Without the vital services of RAVS, animals in these areas would continue to reproduce, further contributing to the massive pet overpopulation problem in the U.S. They also would not receive basic physical care and treatment, causing them to suffer from preventable diseases and potentially posing a risk to their community.
The HSUS also helps pets and their people overcome challenges nationwide through our Pets for Life.
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III. Logging in / Getting Credit
How can I change the settings for my email updates (reminders)?
- Login to the Pets in Need Race.
- Click on the "My Settings" link found on the left-hand side of the page under "My Race Stats".
- Change your reminder settings.
- Scroll down the page and click on the "Submit" button to save your settings.
I am a member of Care2.com. Do I have to sign-up for the race?
No. Care2 members are already pre-registered for all Races. Simply use your normal Care2 login name and password to sign-in to the Race.
How can I change the email address for my Race account?
- Login to the Pets in Need Race.
- Click on the "My Settings" link found on the left-hand side of the page under "Race Stats."
- Enter your current email address in the field provided.
(Note: this will be the address that receives all reminders and updates for your race account).
- Be sure to scroll down the page and click on the "Submit" button to save your settings.
Why can't I log in?
The most likely reason is that your web browser is not accepting cookies. If you enable your cookies and log-in again, it should work. For more help, click here.
If I do not log-in, am I still helping pets in need?
Yes! A donation will be made each time you click the button, up to once per day. However, neither you nor the friends you invite will "get credit" toward the Race if you or they are not logged-in. This means that your clicks will not count towards your friend's Race stats.
I am not getting credit for some of my friends who are visiting. Why?
Your friend must visit the Race through a link containing your unique tracking code. Once they reach the Race and click on the "Click to Help" button, your friend must also sign up for a race account. For you to continue getting credit for Friends' visits, your friends must login to the Race when visiting. Otherwise, we have no way of knowing who your friend is and who should get credit for her/his visits. You will not receive credit for friends who have already visited the site before going through your invitation.
Do I receive credit for friends I email without going through the Race's online invitation form?
Yes, if you include your unique tracking code in the emails you send without going through our online invitation form. If you use our online invitation form, we will automatically include a unique tracking code for you.
What happens if I use the online invitation form with the wrong email address for a friend?
It will bounce back to you. Then you make the corrections and forward it. Our system will have already registered the unique invitation code for you.
I've visited more frequently than some race leaders. Why am I not in the top 100?
You get credit not just for your visits, but also for your friends' visits, and your friends' friends, etc. So, some of the leaders have had friends who have visited many times. To truly appreciate the impact Race leaders have, visit the leader board and click on a leader's name to see how many people s/he has involved in the Race.
Can I sign-up for multiple accounts to improve my race standings?
No! To be fair to our advertising sponsors, we ask that you sign-up for only one account. We reserve the right to terminate any account that appears to be abusing the integrity of the Race. We appreciate efforts to help more pets in need, but please consider the privacy and rights of all parties involved before doing anything too "creative".
Why can I only receive statistics for "six levels" of people?
That number was chosen because it enables people to understand the wider impact they have in the world. You influence your friends, who influence their friends, etc. Check out the leader board to see how influential some Racers have been thus far.
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IV. Sponsorship Information
Where does the money come from to protect the pets?
Companies pay Care2 to sponsor the Race and Care2 donates$1 for every 1,000 clicks. So, please thank these companies for their sponsorships by clicking on the Sponsor banners at the bottom of the Race pages and consider buying items from our sponsors. More visits by you to our sponsors' web pages results in happy sponsors who are more likely to continue supporting the Race(s), which means more dogs and cats helped through the Race.
Does all the money raised go directly to supporting the pets in need, or, will Care2 and its sponsors make some profit, too?
Care2 donates $1 for every 1000 clicks on the pets in need race. In addition, Care2 donates 100% of its net revenues from additional sponsors on the Race for Pets in Need to The Humane Society of the United States Rural Area Veterinary Services (RAVS) program.
How much does it cost to be a sponsor?
Cost of sponsorship is $2 per 1,000 unique visitors per day. The minimum donation is $1000. Click here to be a sponsor.
I have other questions!
Please send your questions to our support team.
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V. Link To Us
To choose a Race for Pets in Need banner and learn how to link to our site, click here
Thank you for participating!!
