WELCOME TO THE
SHELTER DOG BED PROJECT
How the Shelter Dog Bed Project was born
In the winter of 2010, Patty volunteered at a shelter. She was heartbroken to see the dogs lying on a concrete floor with no comfort at all. She decided right then and there that she would make beds for shelter dogs.
In January of 2011, she launched the Shelter Dog Bed Project. She had 100 beds made, and ready to donate! Patty spent countless hours reaching out to the rescue community and got those first 100 beds donated. In March she received a request for 100 beds from a rescue in Long Island, New York. By that time she had used most of her materials to make those first 100 beds. Again, she searched the internet for sources of materials and reached out to the community for donations of bedding.
The Shelter Dog Bed Project has since branched off in offering many different comfort items to the rescues. You can find these items listed on this website. There is also a Facebook page: Shelter Dog Bed Project, where Patty is pleased to have so many followers and to have donated to many Connecticut rescues.
As the project is unable to ship the items, Patty would like to share some of her experiences with those people in other states, people who also want to help these shelter dogs have some comfort.
First, communicate with the administration at the shelter you are trying to help. If it's a municipal shelter, contact the Animal Control Officer. This open line of communication is crucial. Inquire if there are laundry facilities. A lot of places refuse bedding because they have no way to launder it. Inquire if the shelter/dog pound has a volunteer group active with that shelter. If they do, ask if they could do the laundry. As a last resort, the bedding could be discarded after use.
Second, make flyers with your group's contact information and a list of what you are looking to have donated, bedding, blankets, comforters, etc. Hang the flyers in the library, post office, anyplace people frequent. Patty’s experience has been that the community is very generous in donating bedding. Comforters can be cut up into smaller pieces and straight stitched on the open edges. Smaller pieces are much easier to wash and dry. Contact linen services in your area, too. They often discard lots of linens that can be put to use.
The people in the rescue community are wonderful, giving people. Patty’s motto is "do the part that you can". Everyone doing a part makes these animal's lives a little bit better.
Please feel free to contact Patty anytime if you are interested in helping the shelter dogs. Contact: [email protected] OR 860-880-1533.