We have two events coming up – yes, events again! – and I’m super excited about both of them.
The first is our annual Kitten Shower. It’s like a baby shower, but with kittens!
We know the little ones are coming and are getting ready. We’re holding our 7th annual Kitten Shower on March 25 and 26 at the shelter on Letterkenny Road West. On Saturday it will be from noon to 2 p.m. and Sunday will be from noon to 1 p.m.
We’re gathering items so we can be prepared for the four-legged babies. We are looking for kitten milk replacer, “miracle nipples,” Feline Pine cat litter, small litter pans and dry and wet kitten food.
Additionally, we could always use monetary donations for medical care and spay and neuter surgeries.
We will have a foster parent on hand to talk about what it’s like to care for small kittens until they can be spayed and neutered and put up for adoption. We’re always looking for new foster parents, so if you are interested, stop by to chat.
All of the information about the event can be found at cvas-pets.org.
Our second fundraiser has been a long time coming – thanks to COVID. We are bringing back our Easter House Hunt and I can’t wait!
We will hold the hunt on April 2. Registration starts at 1 p.m. and the hunt begins at 2. We have it behind the shelter in the dog park parking lot.
Here’s the deal. We fill TONS of plastic Easter eggs with dog treats and spread them around the grounds behind the shelter. When we holler “go,” the dogs – on LEASHES – take off, looking for Easter eggs.
I think we actually have more than 6,000 eggs, so, yeah. There will be a LOT of eggs to find.
If Mother Nature decides to smile on us (oh, please, ma’am, would you?) and it’s sunny on that Sunday, our Easter Hound Hunt is a well-attended event. Although, our animal-lovers are nothing if not hardy, so we have definitely had participants even in the rain. And this is a rain or shine event, so we’re going to hold it, no matter what comes out of the sky.
We’ll have two separate areas behind the shelter to find the eggs – one for small dogs and one for big dogs. We just don’t think it’s terribly fair to ask a Shih Tzu to compete with a German Shepherd to find Easter eggs. The human parents decide whether or not their dog is considered “large” or “small.”
Also, as tempting as it may be, we’re asking that the pups be the ones to find the eggs, not the children. Kids are welcome to lead the dogs to the eggs, but the dog needs to nose the egg before a human can grab it.
The bottom line is there are a lot of Easter egg hunts for children. This one is specifically for the pooches, so we’d like to keep it that way. I know families love to attend and we love to have them, we just ask that the kids participate by letting the dogs find the eggs.
We also ask the dogs be on the leash at all times. It’s just safer that way.
We have prizes. Oh, yes we do. If your pup sniffs out an egg with a special message inside, you will win one of the prize baskets. Because only certain eggs have the message inside, it’s not really about how many eggs you get, but whether you found THE egg. Even if you only find one egg, it could be the one and you’ll win!
The best part is by having the eggs with a message inside, in order to determine if you have a winning egg, you have to open every one you pick up. This is certainly good news for the canines participating because they get the yummy treats inside!
One of the funniest things following the hunt is listening to all the crunching as families sit down and pop open all the eggs. Hilarious!
Participants are asked to give at least a $5 donation to the shelter to take part in the hunt – that way we can raise a little money for the babies in our kennels, too. You can pre-register online at cvas-pets.org to cut down on the wait the day-of.
Following the hunt, we’re going to have an Easter bonnet contest. This is always so incredibly adorable, I defy you not to smile! The pups will wear the bonnets and we’ll have first, second and third place prizes for the best in each category.
You can also have your pet’s Easter photos taken for a donation to the shelter. It’s possible I heard a rumor that the Easter Bunny himself might just make an appearance! Get the whole family in there and have a great memory with your four-legged baby.
We have so much fun with this every year and everyone has a great time, so don’t miss it.
Both of these events are great ways to realize spring is on the horizon and we hope to see you at the shelter to celebrate!
Jennifer Vanderau is the Publications and Promotions Consultant for the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter and can be reached at [email protected]. The shelter accepts both monetary and pet supply donations. For more information, call the shelter at 717-263-5791 or visit the website www.cvas-pets.org. CVAS also operates a thrift store in Chambersburg. Help support the animals at the shelter by donating to or shopping at the store.
