Makena Technologies, parent of There.com, has announced a collaboration with the Humane Society of the United States, kicking off with a live in-world event on October 29th. A virtual storefront in There will offer users both virtual and real-world Humane Society merchandise, and all proceeds will be donated to the Humane Society by the charitable Maya foundation, a nonprofit, education-focused organization founded by Makena CEO Michael Wilson.

The partnership is an effort to highlight and combat animal cruelty, and There.com says it will continue to work alongside the Humane Society to promote its in-world activities. Said Humane Society president and CEO Wayne Pacelle, "There.com’s community has already shown a desire to support the humane treatment of animals, and helping animals in the virtual world can translate to meaningful gains for animals in the real world.”

Added Wilson, "There.com is very supportive of the work that The Humane Society of the United States does to protect animals and end animal cruelty. The virtual dogs that we offer in There.com are incredibly popular, and it’s clear that we have a large number of members who are animal lovers. We believe there's a huge synergy between The HSUS and There.com's community, and we're really excited about bringing them together."