Animal Rescues Celebrate Taylor Swift's Birthday with $13 Donation Challenge

The Pennsylvania SPCA said it started the challenge after "a challenging year, with adoptions slowing dramatically and owner surrenders flooding into shelters"

What better way to celebrate Taylor Swift's birthday than to give back to a cause close to the cat lover's heart?

Several animal shelters have started the Taylor Swift Challenge to raise money for animal rescues to celebrate the musician's 34th birthday, which falls on Dec. 13. For the challenge, animal-loving Swifties are encouraged to donate $13 to a local rescue or shelter.

The donation amount is a nod to one of Swift's favorite numbers. And it's no secret that the singer-songwriter is an animal fan. She is the pet parent to three cats, including Benjamin Button, whom she adopted from her "ME!" music video set in 2019 and brought to her Time 2023 Person of the Year photo shoot.

The Pennsylvania SPCA said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE that it started the #TaylorSwiftChallenge after a "challenging year, with adoptions slowing dramatically and owner surrenders flooding into shelters at an unprecedented rate."

"They need support, and there is no better time than the present," the statement added of rescue pets.

Related: Taylor Swift's Cutest Photos with Her Cats, Benjamin Button, Olivia and Meredith

The Pennsylvania SPCA is promoting the #TaylorSwiftChallenge on its website with a banner mimicking Swift's Eras Tour imagery with different cat pictures in colored squares.

The organization also teased some Swift songs in its message about the challenge on Facebook: "Long story short, if you're here, we hope you've chosen us! Will you be the 1 for animals in need by donating now? We have been thrilled to see it catch on with rescues and shelters from North Carolina to Texas, Missouri to Massachusetts, and Kansas City to Oklahoma participating. We're not on our own, kid."

The Animal Rescue of Boston also announced on social media that it would participate in the #TaylorSwiftChallenge, asking people to donate $13 to the organization in the singer's name. Alongside the post, they shared adorable photos of adoptable animals edited into Swift's album covers, including a white cat named Bella on the Midnights cover and a dog named Zoey on the Lover album cover.

Outside the Taylor Swift Challenge, Felix Cat Insurance and the Brooklyn Cat Cafe partnered up to recognize 13 of the cafe's adoptable felines as "Cat of the Year" finalists to honor Swift's 34th birthday and her Time Person of the Year cover. The 13 cat finalists, named after Swift songs, are available to adopt now from the Brooklyn Cat Cafe.

Related: Taylor Swift Jokes About Her Reaction to Being Named Time 2023 Person of the Year: 'Can I Bring My Cat?'

Felix Cat Insurance also announced that it would make a $34,000 donation in the name of Swift’s cat, Benjamin Button, to the Brooklyn Cat Cafe to help support cat adoptions.

“With celebrity cats getting their time in the spotlight, we couldn’t resist the opportunity to connect with cat lovers and share that spotlight with other cats in need,” said Jamie Maxfield, the marketing director and brand expert at Felix Cat Insurance. 

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This isn't the first time animal rescues have used Taylor Swift and the number 13 for a promotion. In April, the Houston Humane Society lowered its cat adoption fee to $13 to celebrate Swift's Eras Tour stopping in the Texas city.

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Read the original article on People.