Shelters here do food drives too, the same way.  There is a bin right at the checkout in the big indie pet food warehouse that people can put food donations in.  Scouts, etc. also do food and supply drives for the shelters.  People are more willing, it seems, to donate food and supplies than cash, feeling, I guess, that there is less opportunity for misuse.

Maybe your shelter could get something like this set up.  All you need is a big barrel and a conversation with a pet food store owner.  We have an Explorer Scouts troop that does a yearly pet drive in my workplace.  They put donation boxes with signs in the employee breakrooms, then come and pick them up a few weeks later and take them to the shelter.  Sometimes you don't get the greatest food, but it is at least one less expense.

Here's a thought for Arlo's shelter.

My local small no kill shelter does something similar to Sandi's and catbird's shelters.  My shelter prints up a wish list and posts it locally on bulletin boards.  They also send out volunteers to hand deliver the wish list to local residents.....saves the cost of postage.

Another thought.  I have donated for over 25 years to the NY ASPCA.  They often make monetary donations to help out smaller shelters.  Perhaps an email campaign from us could help the ASPCA see the light and choose to help Arlo's no-kill shelter. 

Maybe even Best Friends could help too.

I, too, donate to several rescues/shelters and would be more than happy to donate to Arlo's for a few months if it would help. I just want to do SOMETHING for the wonderful rescuers who are doing such good things. Can we get some contact information?

catmom5

Maybe contacting churches and synogogues would help too. Most kids taking religious classes have to put in a certain amount of community service hours. These kids would be perfect at stores for donations.

Thank all of you for such wonderful ideas.  We're too small for the big box stores, but the local feed stores are willing to help. The vet office put in a change jar.  You wouldn't believe the vet bills a shelter can run up, even with the discount.  The shelter manager found a couple of donors to help with the electric bill.  (That was way in arrears.)  It's been 90+, humid weather lately so we had to run the A/C.  Thankfully, it's cooler today.  If you want to help your local shelter, putting something on their vet account or electric bill is a good way to know your donation does what you want it to do.  Anyway, thank you so much for your ideas.  Several have caught the attention of a local Methodist minister.  He has a youth group and does "Bless the Animals" services regularly. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

The kitty is doing better.  She's got some degree of hepatic lipidosis, so she's getting fluids and high protein food.  The abscess will get better.  Yes, there were maggots, but the matted fur protected her from getting a deeper infestation.  No spay scar and no reports of an escape from breeders!

Again, thanks to all of you for caring so much!

I'm glad the kitty is getting better and I sure hope the shelter can continue to run.