Annual challenge raises money for animal rescues

The 13th annual Fit Pets for Rescue (FPR) Ideal Weight Challenge wrapped up, for the first time internationally, its run with over $10,000 raised for rescue organizations across Canada and 8 states in the US. Since the event first began 13 years ago, it raised $37,000 to support shelters and pet wellness.

According to the organizational release,1 is now a year-round initiative and, in the spring of 2025, the signup period resulted in:

• Sixty-five pets enrolled
• Forty-three pets reported weight loss
• Ten clinics and 13 rescues participated
• Ten-thousand dollars in prizes were distributed
• Over 17 industry partners participated

"We are super excited to take our fundraiser nationwide powered by Healthy Pet Connect (HPC) and myBalto. The treatment and prevention of overweight pets is vital to allow them to live longer and healthier lives,” said Ken Lambrecht, DVM, FPR medical director, in an organizational release.1

“Over 13 years our programs follow well established peer-reviewed guidelines and have a 100% safety record. We have gotten 100's of pets fitter (including cats up to 44 lbs). It’s not just about severely overweight pets, even 15% over ideal is too much as it is well established that ideal weight pets live longer" “The use of technology like smart feeders, scales & activity/mood monitors was proven in our peer reviewed research to improve outcomes and was well tolerated,” he continued.

Another Sign-Up challenged is scheduled to kick off in September 2025 and anyone interested in participate or sponsoring can reach out to the team. Clients can also enroll their pets at any time to an HPC clinic to earn prizes by donating to rescues, marketplace purchases, and using the official app.

You can learn more on the Healthy Pet Connect website.

Reference

13th Annual Fit Pets for Rescues Challenge Raises Over $10,000 for Animal Rescues Across the U.S. and in Canada. News release. Healthy Pet Connect. June 5, 2025. Accessed June 18, 2025.