Staff members with the Humane Society of Northeast Georgia are hoping to beat their previous record of 3,500 donations collected from the PAW-liday Giving Tree campaign.
But they need the community's help to accomplish this goal.
Community members can help by selecting an ornament from one of the HSNEGA PAW-liday Giving Trees and then donating the item pictured on the ornament. Each ornament represents a specific donation item from the HSNEGA rescue's "PAW-liday wish list".
"So far we've probably received around 500 items," said Kevin Wells, Development Coordinator for HSNEGA. "Last year we raised around 3,500 items, approximating $15,000, so we would love to beat that goal with around 4,000 items donated this year."
Donation items include dog collars, food and leashes. A few ornaments even request a sponsor for a shelter animal.
Wells said that donated items are used for the shelter's daily operations and programs throughout the year.
"For foster care, for instance, we use a lot of the toys, a lot of the blankets to give to the fosters that are taking care of the rescues that need time to heal, maybe puppies that still need time to grow before they're available for adoption," said Wells.
Wells added that while certain items may not be listed on an ornament, the community is still encouraged to donate any items that they can. He said cleaning supplies like paper towels, Clorox wipes and bleach are always beneficial because of how frequently they are used in shelter operations.
Ornaments are available on the Giving Tree at the Humane Society Adoption Center, as well as on Giving Trees located in businesses throughout the community. Many of these businesses also serve as a donation drop-off location. A full list of businesses with Giving Trees and drop-off points is on the Humane Society website.
The "PAW-liday" Giving Tree campaign started on November 23. Community members can drop off donations until December 31.
