Danielle Guzman shows Princess one of the gifts donated to the Best Friends Animal Angel Tree in North Plainfield. All donations will go to the Plainfield Area Humane Society and the Somerset Regional Animal Shelter. Guzman is an employee at Best Friends Pet Care in North Plainfield. / For NJ Press Media
For more information
Best Friends Pet Care:www.bestfriendspetcare.com
Plainfield Area Humane Society: 908-754-0300; contact.pahs@verizon.net; www.pahs.petfinder.org
Somerset Regional Animal Shelter: 908-725-0308; SomersetRegional@verizon.net; www.petfinder.com/shelters/NJ32.html
NORTH PLAINFIELD
In the classic holiday movie “It’s A Wonderful Life,” Clarence Oddbody earned his wings by helping George Bailey realize that it really was a wonderful life.
You, too, can be an angel, and you don’t have to help Jimmy Stewart to do it.
Stop in at Best Friends Pet Care — which is conducting its 12th annual Animal Angel Tree campaign — and donate food, toys and treats for homeless dogs and cats. All donations benefit the homeless animals at the Somerset Regional Animal Shelter in Bridgewater and the Plainfield Area Humane Society in Plainfield.
The Animal Angel Tree in the Best Friends’ lobby has been decorated with paper ornaments featuring photos and information about needy cats and dogs. Animal enthusiasts can call to select a card from the tree and donate from the shelter’s wish list for that dog or cat. All pets featured on the tree are available for adoption.
“We wanted to try to do something for the holidays to help homeless pets,” said Kelly Lugo, center manager for Best Friends in North Plainfield. “We do support the shelters and rescues throughout the year, so this just seemed a natural thing to do. It would be the perfect way to give back to the community.”
And the community has responded.
“We’ve gotten a lot of donations,” Lugo said. “Last year, every pet on our tree was sponsored. We pre-made gift baskets of items, and each pet had one of those packages. There’s a variety of other donations of food, leashes, collars, toys, treats and those were divvied up between both shelters. So far this year, we have a nice start to donations. We have several boxes full of items.”
Lugo said approximately 50 animals are featured on the Animal Angel Tree this year, ranging in age from younger than a year to elderly. Only dogs and cats are represented on the tree; however, the shelters that are being sponsored do have other animals besides cats and dogs, such as guinea pigs and rabbits.
As for the beneficiaries of the Animal Angel Tree, Lugo said, “We normally always choose Plainfield Area Humane Society because they’re local to us, and then we usually chose one other shelter or rescue.”
Aside from Plainfield Area Human Society, how do they decide on which shelter to choose?
“We just randomly pick,” Lugo said. “This year is Somerset Regional Animal Shelter. In the past, we’ve done St. Hubert’s and some other local groups.”
Lugo said the Animal Angel Tree is bringing an awareness to the shelters.
“Last year, many of the pets on our tree were adopted out during the holiday season,” she said. “And this year I’ve personally given the shelter information to a couple of clients who were going to go and inquire about the pets for adoption.”
This year, superstorm Sandy has contributed to the number of animals that are homeless, Lugo said. “The hurricane has inundated many shelters with an increased number of homeless pets, whether it be people lost their homes or had to relocate and couldn’t take their pets.”
Susan MacWhinney-Ciufo, director of the Plainfield Area Human Society, is thrilled to be chosen annually.
“They live up to their name,” she said. “They’re best friends. They’ve been extremely supportive. It’s a lot of fun. Best Friends is terrific.”
MacWhinney-Ciufo agrees with Lugo that the Animal Angel Tree event has brought an awareness to the animal shelters.
“I think it’s because people that go to Best Friends with their pet see that there are homeless animals that need help,” MacWhinney-Ciufo said.
Donations to the Animal Angel Tree program can be made before Dec. 31 at Best Friends Pet Care, 825 Route 22 West, or by calling 908-822-9200.
In the classic holiday movie “It’s A Wonderful Life,” Clarence Oddbody earned his wings by helping George Bailey realize that it really was a wonderful life.
You, too, can be an angel, and you don’t have to help Jimmy Stewart to do it.
Stop in at Best Friends Pet Care — which is conducting its 12th annual Animal Angel Tree campaign — and donate food, toys and treats for homeless dogs and cats. All donations benefit the homeless animals at the Somerset Regional Animal Shelter in Bridgewater and the Plainfield Area Humane Society in Plainfield.
The Animal Angel Tree in the Best Friends’ lobby has been decorated with paper ornaments featuring photos and information about needy cats and dogs. Animal enthusiasts can call to select a card from the tree and donate from the shelter’s wish list for that dog or cat. All pets featured on the tree are available for adoption.
“We wanted to try to do something for the holidays to help homeless pets,” said Kelly Lugo, center manager for Best Friends in North Plainfield. “We do support the shelters and rescues throughout the year, so this just seemed a natural thing to do. It would be the perfect way to give back to the community.”
And the community has responded.
“We’ve gotten a lot of donations,” Lugo said. “Last year, every pet on our tree was sponsored. We pre-made gift baskets of items, and each pet had one of those packages. There’s a variety of other donations of food, leashes, collars, toys, treats and those were divvied up between both shelters. So far this year, we have a nice start to donations. We have several boxes full of items.”
Lugo said approximately 50 animals are featured on the Animal Angel Tree this year, ranging in age from younger than a year to elderly. Only dogs and cats are represented on the tree; however, the shelters that are being sponsored do have other animals besides cats and dogs, such as guinea pigs and rabbits.
As for the beneficiaries of the Animal Angel Tree, Lugo said, “We normally always choose Plainfield Area Humane Society because they’re local to us, and then we usually chose one other shelter or rescue.”
Aside from Plainfield Area Human Society, how do they decide on which shelter to choose?
“We just randomly pick,” Lugo said. “This year is Somerset Regional Animal Shelter. In the past, we’ve done St. Hubert’s and some other local groups.”
Lugo said the Animal Angel Tree is bringing an awareness to the shelters.
“Last year, many of the pets on our tree were adopted out during the holiday season,” she said. “And this year I’ve personally given the shelter information to a couple of clients who were going to go and inquire about the pets for adoption.”
This year, superstorm Sandy has contributed to the number of animals that are homeless, Lugo said. “The hurricane has inundated many shelters with an increased number of homeless pets, whether it be people lost their homes or had to relocate and couldn’t take their pets.”
Susan MacWhinney-Ciufo, director of the Plainfield Area Human Society, is thrilled to be chosen annually.
“They live up to their name,” she said. “They’re best friends. They’ve been extremely supportive. It’s a lot of fun. Best Friends is terrific.”
MacWhinney-Ciufo agrees with Lugo that the Animal Angel Tree event has brought an awareness to the animal shelters.
“I think it’s because people that go to Best Friends with their pet see that there are homeless animals that need help,” MacWhinney-Ciufo said.
Donations to the Animal Angel Tree program can be made before Dec. 31 at Best Friends Pet Care, 825 Route 22 West, or by calling 908-822-9200.
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