Pet Lover Seeks Birthday Donations for Animal Shelter

COURT HOUSE – Birthday’s come but once a year. It is a chance to have what you want for dinner and get presents from friends and family. Melissa Grace knows exactly what she wants for her Sept. 20 birthday, and none of it is for herself.
Blankets, balls, bones and treats of any kind and description are on her list, as well as money. For this 25th birthday celebration, Grace is asking friends, family and even strangers to donate items to the Cape May County Animal Shelter at the Crest Haven Complex, or, if they live out of the vicinity, to a shelter in their own communities.
Grace is the owner of two shelter pets, both are rescues, Mommie, a black cat whose tail had been injured by a previous owner, and Ziggy, a bearded dragon.. “I think about all the animals just sitting in the shelters, wondering if there will ever be a home for them to go to,” she said.
When asked why she didn’t just collect for a large animal advocacy group such as the ASPCA, Grace answered, “I’d rather give locally and show that we appreciate what they do right here.”
According to the Humane Society there are 3,500 animal shelters in the U.S. Each year 6 million to 8 million animals enter shelters, of those 25 percent are purebreds and 4 million to 5 million are destroyed before the year ends.
Grace was inspired by the efforts of her grandfather Robert Grace of Dennis Township. He and his wife requested that in lieu of gifts for their 50th wedding anniversary, donations be sent to their church’s mission outreach. Her grandparents raised $1,800 for that cause.
Anyone wishing to donate to Grace’s cause may drop off items at her place of employment, CVS in Court House, or at PetSmart in Rio Grande where her mother works.
“I also have a Facebook page,” Grace said. She asks that interested readers “Like” her page and feel free to post photos of their own animal friends and companions.
“That would be the best present of all – to see people supporting the animals in their own communities and making their lives better,” she said.
To contact Helen McCaffrey, email hmccaffrey@cmcherald.com.