About a month or so back, I was chatting with Ryan Moore, the shelter manager at the Animal Care Center. We were talking about the shelter’s needs and what we could do here at News of St. John to help.
During that conversation, Ryan mentioned to me that the shelter’s dogs – currently there are 16 dogs living at the ACC – do not have beds to sleep on. They do have blankets and toys, but Ryan said the dogs needed a particular style of bed because oftentimes they preferred to chew up the typical plush dog beds rather than sleep on them. That stuck with me and I promised to help.
Well life got in the way, so it took a bit longer to help than I had hoped. But on Tuesday afternoon, I finally found the right type of dog bed online and from a retailer that actually ships to the island. I emailed Ryan to make sure I found the correct type and asked how many he needed. Ryan responded quickly and said that there were 12 kennels but that they would happily accept whatever we were able to provide.
I ordered three beds and had them shipped over. I then put out a simple request on our Facebook page. Your response was overwhelming.
Within 30 minutes, I received a dozen emails from people wanting to help. I am happy to report that all of the dogs at the ACC will be sleeping a bit more comfortably soon as they wait for their forever homes.
I would like to thank publicly the people who purchased beds. (I hope you all do not mind me listing your names here, but I am very appreciative of all of you.) They are:
- Linda Walker
- Kim Punke
- Kathy Gordon
- Terry Wilkinson Jordan
- Tammy Donnelly
- Christine Atchley
- Sara Kay Ridenour
- Brian Neste
The ACC relies on donations to keep the animals happy and healthy. Below are items on their Wish List for those of you would who like to contribute:
- Vacuum bags (Eureka MM)
- Frontline flea repellent (dogs and cats)
- Tough and durable dog and cat toys
- Dog and cat treats
- Litter pans (size medium to extra large)
- Disposable gloves
- Dog harnesses (size small to extra large)
- Dog tick collars (size small to extra large)
- Airline pet carriers
- Gift certificates to Canines, Cats and Critters/St. Johnimals/Kmart
- Dog poop bags
If you would like to purchase any of the above-listed items, you can send them to:
Animal Care Center
PMB 571
5000 Estate Enighed
St. John, VI 00830
(Note: Walmart.com is one online retailer that ships to the island.)
If you would like to learn more about the ACC, their needs and the animals available for adoption, please click here to visit their website.
Thanks to all of you! I send care packages 4 or 5 times a year to ACC.