OkcPets Magazine January 2022

40 OKC Pets • January/February 2022 A fter the holidays, it can be com- mon to feel the urge to tidy up at home. As an influx of new holiday gifts fills every corner of the house and New Year’s resolutions loom large, that desire to declutter, organize, and make room for the things we really want and need becomes all too familiar. During that time, many house- hold items and Christmas gifts that missed the mark end up in boxes headed for the local donation bin, where they might sit for months before being picked up and making their way to someone who could actually use them. Although it might be common to toss all the old towels and blankets into a pile for your local animal shelter, the holidays are a great time to expand that donation pile and keep local rescues, sanctuaries, and shelters in mind. They need donated items all year long, including many that the public doesn’t typically think of when donating to an animal-focused organization. These kittens known as the Guthrie 5 are ready to frolic their way to a forever home. Photograph courtesy of Misfits, Mutts, and Meows Rescue. S TART I NG THE NEW YEAR Right Creative Ways To Help Shelters, Rescues, and Sanctuaries by Kaycee Chance