Instructions
Donating Pet Toys to Animal Shelters and Pet Rescue Organizations
Locate Animal Shelters and Pet Rescue Organizations in Your Area Peruse the phone book under categories like "Pet shelters," "Animal humane societies," "Animal shelters" or "Pet rescue organizations." Animal shelters and rescue organizations are also listed on the Internet at Petfinder.com and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals (ASPCA) website. Online directories usually include website links to shelter and rescue websites.
Determine shelter or rescue organizations' specific needs and requirements check out the shelter or rescue organization's website. Most have pages with titles like "How You Can Help," "Donations," or "Wish List." For dogs, they may need tennis balls, rope toys, dental chews or squeaky toys. For cats, they may prefer toys on fishing poles, balls, bells, toy mice or larger items like scratching posts and kitty condos.
Some shelters and rescue organizations have requirements on the type of toys, treats and food they accept. They may prefer Nylabones over rawhides, toys with no internal batting, washable toys, or toys that are free of BPA, PVC and phthalate plastics. They may prefer rawhides made in the United States, Canada or South America, since Asian produced rawhides often have formaldehyde, arsenic, lead or other toxins.
Call shelter or rescue organizations to verify their needs. Since needs can change daily, call the organization and confirm their current needs and wants. You may also need to schedule a time to drop off your toy donations.
Purchase toys. You can find pet toys at many locations ranging from small mom-and-pop pet shops to huge pet store chains. Discount department stores, grocery stores and home improvement centers often have pet supply aisles, too. However, use caution when purchasing items from dollar type discount retailers since many items are imported from Asia and may contain lead paint or other toxins. Read labels carefully before purchasing toys and treats from these deep-discount stores.
Deliver toys. Take toys to the shelter or rescue organization at the pre-arranged time. While visiting, volunteers may give you a tour of their facility and even allow you to play with some of the available pets. If you have the time, ask about volunteer opportunities. Many shelters and rescue organizations need dog walkers, office help, groomers, adoption coordinators or even foster families. There are many opportunities for animal lovers to get involved at most shelters and rescue organizations.
How to Donate Pet Toys
The Human Society of the U.S. (HSUS) estimates that are 3,500 animal shelters throughout the country that care for 6 million to 8 million dogs and cats each year. Petfinder, an online search engine of adoptable pets, lists more than 300,000 animals available from more than 13,000 adoption groups. Most of these are not-for-profit organizations run by volunteers with tiny operating budgets. Some need everything from shredded newspaper to pet cages. Pet toys, which wear out quickly due to constant usage, are also a high-demand item at many shelters and rescue organizations.