Celebrate the season of giving with a party to benefit homeless pets

PetSmart - Trish Spencer, PetSmart Charities®

Holiday parties are a great tradition in our country, and every hostess loves to plan a special and memorable party everyone will enjoy. This holiday when considering a theme to follow, why not make your party a pet benefit? Even the smallest party can gather enough donations in toys, pet supplies and pet treats to make a significant difference in the lives of pets who are waiting in shelters or rescues for a forever home.

 According to Mary Ann McBeal of Houston, such celebrations are a great way to teach children the importance of giving back.

 “We celebrate every Christmas with a small party for family and friends. We like to teach our children and grandchildren the spirit of giving at this time of year, so we decided last year to ask every guest to bring a toy or treats that we would then donate to the dogs and cats at our local humane society. Everyone loved the idea and we took the kids with us to take the toys and treats and they loved petting and interacting with the dogs and cats there.”

 Mary Ann said they collected over 25 toys and 30 bags of treats.

Another pet party hostess, Beth Mueller of Albuquerque, had a silent auction at her Christmas party for a beautiful quilt she and her friends had worked on. “We raised over $1,000 for the quilt, which was hand-made with a pattern of dogs and cats,” she said. “After the party, we donated the $1,000 to a pet rescue group who needs and appreciates every donation. Afterwards the children attending got together and wrote thank-you notes to every guest!”

To accompany your pet-themed holiday party, you can make dog and cat cookies with holiday garlands, special pet-themed cake decorations and even fashion tiny cat collars as napkin rings. With a little creativity you can come up with a special holiday celebration for all your pet-loving friends that they will always remember. Best of all it will bring to mind and celebrate the true spirit of giving this holiday season.

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