Give To Animals In Need This Valentine’s Day

It’s no secret that animal shelters are always in need of volunteers. But they are also in need of supplies to support the animals that they care for.

This Valentine’s Day, show a little love to some furry sweethearts. Volunteer at a local shelter and give a little love to those who really need it.

If you can’t volunteer, there are other ways to help, too Here’s a list of items most local shelter can use.


Blankets and Towels—bedding for shelter animals is always in short supply. As are towels for hygiene use. Before donating, wash items in a hypo-allergenic soap and dry without using dryer sheets.

Pet food—any brand or type, wet or dry, it will be appreciated.

Hygiene items—kitty litter, dog shampoo, pet wipes and grooming aids like brushes, combs and ear wipes.

Toys—donate all those toys Fido has tired of to some pups and kitties that could use some playtime. Wash them first, as with towels and blankets above. And for toys (that will be in an animals mouth) I always rinse twice, just to make sure there’s no residue.

Office supplies—with budgets tighter than ever this year, your local shelter could probably use things such as paper, pens, stamps etc. A donation like this lets the group spend less on admin and more on the animals. And that’s always a good thing.

Pet Medicines—medication for animals can be expensive. For you to purchase for your fur baby, but also for your local shelter—where resources are scarce—to purchase. So if you have meds that your pet has not used, why not donate them. Shelters treat sick animals everyday. Your pet’s unused RX will be welcome. You can even include unused single doses of flea and tick protection.

With the number of No-Kill shelters increasing each year, it’s so important to provide for shelter animals until they can find families that will care for them permanently. And even if your shelter is a standard one, you can help make the lives of these unfortunate animals more comfortable—and give them a little more time to find their forever family.

Find a shelter in your area, or learn about pet adoption at AnimalShelter.org

For more info visit The Humane Society.org or ASPCA.org