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Photos: Kiera's 'Animal Shelter Birthday Party'

By Howard B. Owens

Kiera Gross, above, got just what she wanted for her 11th birthday. She was surrounded by friends and dogs and cats.

Gross wanted her birthday party to be something that would help support the animal shelter and pet adoption. Volunteers for Animals helped out by bringing some dogs and kittens to the Bethany Fire Hall today.

Guests were asked to bring a donation to the party. More than a dozen of Kiera's friends joined in the party, which included games with the pets, a chance to make a pet bed and lots and lots of petting and cuddling the animals.

Clockwise -- Kim Davis, Sarah Stefan, Loy Gross (Kiera's mom) and Taylor Heineman, work on making pet beds.

Alannah Gross.

Meet "Buddy." If I were more impulsive, I would have taken Buddy home immediately.  He's a super-good natured dog, very friendly -- a real "people person" -- and eager for a new master. The shelter is looking for a home for him very, very soon, so go adopt him.

Loy Gross

Thanks, Howard, for coming out and covering Kiera's party. It took me months to arrange this event; I hope that this article will make it easier for the next person who wants to do something similar.

Thanks to very generous friends and family, the shelter received a table full of food and supplies as well as $200 in cash/gift card donations. Party guests also made about a dozen pet beds and the same number of homemade cat toys, which are already in use at the shelter (according to Wendy, director of Volunteers for Animals, the cats look adorable in their new beds).

And the kids enjoyed themselves immensely! We hope that Kiera's experience might encourage others to do the same. There are always animals in need at the shelter!

-- Loy

Dec 20, 2010, 9:12am Permalink

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