LEWISTON — The Greater Androscoggin Humane Society in Lewiston has won a spot in the ASPCA 100K Challenge thanks to 5,300 votes from supporters. It is one of 50 animal shelters chosen to participate in the national competition and is the only one from Maine

The shelter will compete for up to $300,000 in grants, including a $100,000 grand prize that will go to the shelter that saves the most cats and dogs by finding them adoptive homes or returning them to their owners. 

The society will also be eligible to win $25,000 by engaging the community, $20,000 for saving the most animals of any shelter in the region, $5,000 for saving the most animals in a month and other grants.

Although contestants were announced last week, the competition runs Aug. 1 through Oct. 31. Between now and August, the Lewiston shelter will prepare for the contest by setting goals and coming up with strategies to engage the community and spur adoptions.

The shelter will run updates about the competition on its website, www.gahumane.org, and its Facebook page, www.facebook.com/gahumane.