Causecast

Dear Friends,

For the holidays this year I thought that it would be a fun and easy project to help collect donated items for our local animal shelters.

This is a tough time to try and collect cash donations but luckily (?) shelters are in need of everyday items that most of us have around the house – from paper towels, bathroom tissue and old towels to cleaning/kitchen supplies, zip lock bags and office supplies.

Millions of dogs and cats are given up to shelters annually. As if shelters weren’t full enough already, the mortgage crisis and home foreclosures have created a situation where even more animals are being given up by their owners. As these abandoned pets spend what could turn out to be the rest of their lives in cold, barren cages we could bring them a few toys, treats and blankets to help make their days a little brighter. :)

Each year for the holidays, Justin Rudd runs his Operation Santa Paws collection drive for shelter and rescue dogs and cats. I’m sure a lot of you already know about this. Justin’s website has all the information you could need on items that you can donate, how to set up a collection box (if you want to do that), where the Operation Santa Paws collection sites are located and lots more information.

If you do set up a collection box, attached to this email you’ll find a “Gift List” of items and a sign that can be put on boxes in your office, at your local veterinarian’s office, school, etc.
Then ask your friends, family, co-workers and kind strangers to drop off donated items. And as Justin recommends you can contact your local newspapers and let them know what you are doing and ask them to help you get the word out.

This year the Operation Santa Paws collection will be running until noon on Friday, December 19th so if we can collect items and get them to the collection sites by then – great! Justin and other volunteers (hopefully this will include myself and any one of you who want to come along) will then take these items and deliver them to local shelters on Saturday, December 20th.

The collection sites in the South Bay are at the following locations (for all other locations in LA and the OC see website ):

Shellback Tavern – Manhattan Beach
Manhattan Beach Blvd., 90266 on Thur 20th and Fri 21st from 7 – 10 p.m.

Pet Foods Market – Manhattan Beach
1816 North Sepulveda, 90266, 310.546.8090

Petco – Westchester
8801 S. Sepulveda Blvd., 310.645.7198

PetCare Company, The – Hermosa Beach
1620 Pacific Coast Hwy., 90254, 310.372.1980

ALLPETS Vet Hospital – San Pedro
28326 S. Western Ave. @ Westmont Ave., Rancho Palos Verdes, 310.547.2784

If anyone wants to continue collecting items through December you can certainly do that as well; just drop the items to your nearest animal shelter when you’re ready or call me at 310.292.0525 and I can pick up and deliver the collection box for you.

Thanks for taking the time to read this! Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Happy Collecting!!

Sincerely,
Siobhan