Making a donation to an area animal shelter can be a wonderful way to honor the memory of a beloved pet or pay tribute to the love and companionship your own pet offers every day.
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Tis the season for holiday shopping. Along with gifts for friends and family, many people are picking up presents for the family pets, placing dog treats and cat toys in their shopping bag along with other holiday purchases.
When jotting down your shopping list, consider adding an extra item or two for local animal shelters to benefit pets waiting to find a permanent home. Making a donation can be a wonderful way to honor the memory of a beloved pet or pay tribute to the love and companionship your own pet offers every day.
Donations don't have to be expensive to make a difference. Many organizations are asking for contributions of pet food and kitty litter, for example.
"When you have 150 mouths to feed, every little bit helps," said Kayla Allen, director of the Michigan Animal Rescue League (MARL) in Pontiac.
To get an idea of how much food and cat litter organizations need, consider this: The Elizabeth Lake Animal Rescue in White Lake buys approximately 6 and a half tons of cat litter each year and uses 75-90 pounds of dry food a week, said founder and president Ellen Stephenson.
Monetary donations are always welcome and, like gift cards to local pet supply stores, can be easily mailed to the organizations. Many also have volunteer opportunities available for those who prefer to give the gift of time.
The following wish lists are from some of the many area animal organizations. To make a donation, contact the organization directly to make arrangements.
The Royal Oak Animal Shelter is seeking donations of clay cat litter (not the scoopable type), Friskies canned cat food (many prefer the ground varieties, not slices), bleach, paper towels and cleaning wipes. Volunteers are needed to walk dogs and clean cages. The shelter is located at 1515 N. Edgeworth, Royal Oak, MI 48067. Hours are 4-7 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-noon Saturday. For more information, call (248) 246-3364.
The Michigan Basset Rescue is in need of leashes and collars (18 to 20-inch sizes), postage stamps for mailings and gift certificates for grooming services. Monetary donations can be made at the organization's Web site, www.michiganbassetrescue.org. Other donations can be mailed to: Michigan Basset Rescue, P.O. Box 300381, Waterford, MI 48330-0381. Volunteers to foster a homeless basset until a permanent home is found are also needed. Volunteer applications are available on the Web site as well.
The Michigan Animal Rescue League (MARL) is looking for dry and canned dog or cat food (Purina, Iams or Science Diet brands are preferred), Friskies buffet canned food, cleaning supplies like bleach and detergent, blankets and comforters, clay cat litter (no scoopable), gas cards to help with off-site adoption programs and community connection programs and a new, high-quality digital camera that will be used to take photos of pets available for adoption. Call the organization at (248) 335-9290 to inquire about volunteer opportunities, which include everything from maintenance to fundraising. MARL is located at 790 Featherstone, Pontiac, MI 48342. Hours are 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday and noon-6:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Elizabeth Lake Animal Rescue could use gift cards to pet supply stores, Iams or Science Diet dry/canned food, Fancy Feast canned food, any kind of cat litter, stainless steel food dishes, bathroom rugs or 5x7 small area rugs so cats have a cozy place to sleep and towels, washcloths, quilts and comforters. The organization also has angel trees up at three local pet stores, including two Pets Supplies 'Plus' stores on Cooley Lake Road, and M-59 by Bogie Lake Road in White Lake; and Pet Food & More in Commerce, said founder and president Ellen Stephenson. Donation envelopes are available at the angel trees or donations can be mailed to: Elizabeth Lake Animal Rescue, P.O. Box 126, Union Lake, MI 48387. Volunteers are needed for various tasks, call (248) 682-9649 for more information.
The Michigan Humane Society cares for more than 100,000 animals each year at its three Centers for Animal Care in Detroit, Rochester Hills and Westland. Animal care centers and cruelty investigation wish list includes a new high-quality digital video camera (6-plus megapixels), canned dog/cat food, rawhide chews, moist dog/cat treats, cat toys (nonporous), clay cat litter, stainless steel food bowls, towels and office supplies. Monetary donations, including memorial or honorarium donations in the name of a loved one, are especially needed and can be made by phone at (866) MHUMANE (648-6263) or securely online at www.michiganhumane.org
The Canine Companions Rescue Center in Clarkston needs collars, leashes, canned dog food, puppy pens and gift cards to pet stores to buy special needs items. Cash donations are welcome as well. Volunteers (must be 16 years old) are always needed, as are foster homes for dogs until their forever homes are found. Dogs are shown from noon-4 p.m. every Sunday at Petco, 4820 S. Baldwin, Lake Orion. Contact (248) 834-9419 to arrange a delivery of any items or to discuss volunteer opportunities.
Contact Jane Peterson at (248) 745-4573 or jane.peterson@oakpress.com
