Nov 24 2010
A Little Black Friday Shopping
If you’re going out shopping the day after Thanksgiving, we’d like you to add a few items to your list.
We expect that next week HumaneWatch will hit an exciting milestone: 200,000 fans on Facebook. It’s our celebration, but we want America’s overstressed pet shelters to get the presents. And that’s where you come in.
We’re designating Saturday, December 4 as “Shelter Supply Saturday.” You can participate by buying supplies for a nearby humane society or other pet shelter, and delivering it on the 4th.
Next week we’ll give you a PDF that you can print out and attach to your gift, letting the shelter personnel know how your act of kindness came about—and why. We’re hoping thousands of you will open up your hearts and visit shelters in person on December 4 to deliver your gifts.
What do shelters need? Let’s take a look.
You might think that pet shelters would need dog food and cat food. Some do, to be sure, but it’s hard to know which brand a given shelter uses, and most animal care professionals don’t want to switch pets’ diets around too much.
So instead of recommending that, we’re taking our cue from a new website called The Giving Effect, which launched in August with the mission of helping charities collect donations of surplus and gently used materials from Americans who would rather part with their stuff than their money.
According to The Bark, The Giving Effect polled 250 pet shelter managers who registered for its service that matches up donors with recipients. Here are the five (rather surprising) items that they said shelters need most:
- Office supplies (computers, printers, fax machines, phones, paper, pens)
- Cleaning supplies (bleach, laundry detergent, Fantastik, Windex)
- Blankets, sheets, and towels
- Miscellaneous items that can be sold to raise money
- Building supplies (to construct fences, crates, dog runs)
There you have it. If you already have a relationship with a pet shelter—heck, even if you don’t—we’d recommend calling first to find out what its specific needs are. Here are three online databases of shelters. [ 1 | 2 | 3 ] At least one of them is bound to be helpful.
We hope you’ll plan to set aside December 4 to deliver a “Shelter Supply Saturday” gift to a needy organization near you. Stay tuned for more information next week.
And Happy Thanksgiving!
Comments
This is the best idea I have seen so far this season. Thanks
Great list of suggestions. Also don’t forget about assistance dog schools, such as KSDS, Inc (Washington, KS) when donating either money or supplies. Those who “rescue” (purchase) their dogs from animal shelters are pretty much acting as shelters, themselves, as only about 1 in 10 dogs taken from the shelters actually are healthy (physically AND mentally) enough to qualify as assistance dogs. The rest are placed, but the schools end up focusing more of their time on the 9 that can’t do the work than the 1 that can—whereas schools that have their own breeding programs have a 60-70% rate of dogs actually being able to do the work the school trains for.
I also forgot to mention, I only donate to organizations that will accept “in kind” donations (supplies, products, etc) as opposed to cash only, as they tend to be far more reliable in using all donations for the actual purpose. HSUS doesn’t accept in kind donations even on the rare occasions they are physically helping animals (such gifts were declined during Katrina, for instance), and we all know how little of their money goes into the program. A good charity, on the other hand, will use 98-cents of every dollar donated actually on the program intended.
The HSUS doesn’t help animals. The animals and the shelters help the HSUS.
This is a really good idea. It makes it clear who is helping animals and who is good for animals.
Pepsi will award $250,000 to the top two vote getters in an online grant program it developed to provide funding to a variety of projects.
Currently, _HSUS is leading_ (http://www.refresheverything.com/leaderboard) .
There are lots of wonderful options, please vote before November 30.
Please include those rescue organizations that are too small and poor to even have a shelter and all their animals are in foster care. Look in the rural ares of your state if you’re in a big city who’s shelter might be (relatively) well funded and “adopt” that small group. They best thing you could give those groups is some of your time but all sorts of in kind donations are welcome. You might also consider finding out which veterinarian they use and make a payment toward the groups account. Thank you all very much.
Of course with your printed .pdf attached.
I have reposted this on a few of the reptile forums I’m a member of. We really appreciate what you guys are doing here. Keep up the good work!
Interesting article . . . nice to know that shelters really need things like blankets and building supplies, which people might not think of donating!
thanks 
TG
Great idea at this time of the year. My family gives to animal shelters year around and all our dogs and cats are all rescues. Making a payment to the vet a small shelter uses is a great idea. Most rescue dogs come un-N/S, heartworm positive, and with a host of other problems.The bills mount up. If we who care about animals all work together to celebrate our similarities rather that harp on our differences, all animals will benefit.
Don’t forget kitty litter and dish soap!
As an active volunteer for a shelter, I highly recommend paper towels as well. Of course, it is a great idea to call a shelter you plan on supporting first, in case there’s an unusual shortage or need for some items.
One other idea is to send it to friends and family that you know donate to HSUS with a note saying you donated XYZ in their name to the local shelter that actually cares for the animals.
everyone help the needs of animals and the shelters around you!
I am thankful I came across your website on aol. Thanks for the sensible critique. My wife and i were being just getting ready to study about it. I will be very happy to see these excellent details currently being shared freely out there.
this is an awesome idea, theres alot of ppl that want to help, but cant adopt sn animal. so this is a way they can help.
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I will proudly attach the Christmas card from HW to all my shelter donations, now and throughout the year.