• No-sew fleece blankets! : They are soft, washable, and safe!

• Braided Fleece Rope Toys! 

• CatNip Sock Toys (WITH CAUTION) : Clean socks filled with catnip or crinkle materials can be fun for cats, as long as they're stitched shut tightly and do not have loose strings

• Cardboard Cat Scratchers  : Made from sturdy cardboard layers

• Loose or worn-out socks : Dogs may rip them apart, swallow fabric, or choke on elastic bands.

• Items with buttons, beads, or small pieces : choking hazard

• Knitted or crocheted items with loose yarn : Cats may swallow strings, which may be fatal.

• Toys made with glue, staples, or tape : Unsafe if chewed

• Human food treats : Some ingredients (like chocolate, onions, or Xylitol) are toxic to pets. 

While socks may seem like a cozy, simple item to donate, they can actually be unsafe for shelter animals. Dogs, in particular, are prone to chewing on everything! Shoes, paper (I see you "my dog ate my homework" kids...), and so much more! When ever these fuzzy companions can get their jaws on, they chew, so why are socks such a bad idea? 

To start off, used socks pose a hygiene concern. Fabric can carry many bacteria, odors, or leftover detergents that contain chemicals that may irritate the animal's skin or stomach if ingested. Unlike fabric or other washable fabrics, socks are small, stretchy, and are difficult to re purpose safely in busy shelter environments.

If socks are ingested, they often can cause intestinal blockages, which are life threatening and can cause the blood flow to be cut off, and if that occurs it can lead to tissue death. The blockage can also cause food and water to have its pathway blocked, meaning the body lacks energy and becomes dehydrated. Depending on the size of the sock, it can also lead to the bowel rupturing. If the intestinal fluids leak, it can lead to dangerous and painful infection known as peritonitis. In short, this causes immense amounts of pain on the poor pup, but also causes a huge amount of money. While shelters, and all pet owners, would do anything to save and help their pet, shelters often struggle finding a good balance. If donated a sock item and are unaware, it can lead to dangerous emergency situations, which could cause lots of money that the shelter may not have, leading to the dog being put down or the shelter losing large amounts of funding. 

While all staff will do whatever they can for their furry friends, educating yourself before donation can help prevent mistakes from occurring! Making all happy, well, and healthy, ready for adoption!

If you're not sure whether an item is okay to donate, reach out to the shelter or check their donation wish list! Each shelter may have slightly different needs and guidelines, but comfort, safety, and cleanliness are always top priority!

Want to make some safe treats and toys? 

Follow these tutorials!

1. Braided Fleece Rope Toy

   • items needed :

     • • • • Old fleece blankets, sweatshirts, shirts (washing machine, clean)

           • Scissors

• instructions : 

1. Wash the fabric first to remove any dirt or detergent residue,

2. Cut the fleece into three long strips, each about 2-3 inches wide and about 18-30 inches long (depending on the size of the dog) 

   • 1. • Larger dogs may benefit from rope 30 inches long while smaller dogs may benefit from a rope 18 inches long

3. Line up  the three strips and tie them together in a tight knot at one end, leaving a few inches loose at the bottom for a tassel. 

4. Braid the strips tightly all the way down

5. When you reach the end, tie another tight knot to secure it.

6. Tug on both knots to make sure they won't loosen.

2. No-Sew fleece Blanket

• items needed :

  • • • • Two pieces of fleece fabric, could also be t-shirts!

        • Scissors

• instructions : 

1. Grab your fabric and cut about 3 inches deep to create a fringe. Leaving about 2 inches of space between each cut, move around the whole piece of fabric creating these pieces of fringe

2. Once you have cut all the way around the two pieces of fabric, you want to grab one strip from each piece of fabric. From there you want to tie them into a tight knot. Repeat this process until both pieces of fabric reattached!

   • This allows the pets to have soft and comfy blankets, but if a piece gets damaged, it makes it easy to cut that piece away and add new strips of fabric to fix the damaged areas!

3. Tennis ball Treat Puzzle

   • items needed :

     • • • • New or Old tennis ball

           • Scissors/Exact-o knife

           • Treats!

• instructions : 

1. Wash the tennis ball and remove an extra debris

2. Use your scissors or craft knife to cut a short slit, about 1-2 inches long, into the ball.

   • The slit should be big enough for the treat to fit inside but small enough that it doesn't fall out immediately

3.  Squeeze the ball slightly to open the slit and insert a few treats

4. Release the ball so it closes naturally

5. Give it to your dog to roll around, chew, and paw at to release the treats!

4.  Cat friendly treat puzzle!

   • items needed :

     • • • Toilet rolls (make sure its empty and no paper is left!)

         • Scissors

         • Treats!

• instructions : 

  1. Slightly flatten the roll and push the edges on one side so the cardboard folds over itself, closing one end. 

  2. Drop a few cat treats or pieces of kibble into the roll

  3. Close the other end the same way, by folding in the edges

  4. You can cut some holes in the side of the roll, just enough to get the scent of the treats in the air, but not big enough for the treats to easily escape!

  5. Give it to your cat to bat, roll and tear until the treats come out!