'Tis the season for giving and receiving. But isn’t it nice when you can find a holiday gift that does something a little extra?

Our annual Hope for the Holidays campaign helps us give a little extra attention and love to the animals in our care at the CRD Animal Shelter during the holiday season. The campaign highlights several ways you can get involved with our organization, whether it's sponsoring or adopting an animal, giving an in-kind donation from our wish list, extending your home to a foster animal, or giving a monetary donation, there is a way for everyone to get involved.

Fill a bag with your kindness: Donate food, items or supplies that will assist us in our goal of making each animal at the CRD Animal Shelter feel loved and prepare them to find their fur-ever home.

Drop-off locations for Donate Hope for the Holidays donations

Pick up a bag and drop off your donations at the following locations:

• CRD Animal Shelter - 5401 Patricia Bay Highway
• CRD Bylaw and Animal Care Services - 212-2780 Veterans Memorial Parkway
• CRD Headquarters - 625 Fisgard Street
• CRD Water - 479 Island Highway
• SEAPARC - 2168 Phillips Road
• Bosley's Westshore Mall
• Island Pet Source - Goldstream Ave
• Growlies for Pets - Jacklin Rd
• Willow Wind Feed & Pet Supplies - Sooke Rd

Gift: By making a donation or purchasing an item on our wish list, you are helping the animals that are in our care and still waiting for their fur-ever home.

The cost to care for and find a home for an animal that is not claimed by their owner at the CRD Animal Shelter varies on the length of stay, but can cost upwards of $1,000. The adoption fee includes the spay or neuter, vaccinations, deworm, de-flea and microchip, which on average costs $450 for dogs and $350 for cats.

The cost for feeding, housing, supplies and any medical assistance the animal may require is not added to this adoption fee. Therefore, we need to find ways to pay for those costs and any extra medical expenses or behavioural training the animal may require.

Foster: Extend your home to an animal in need this holiday season by applying to our foster program and helping one of our homeless pets until they get adopted!

Being a foster caregiver is a rewarding experience that gives a home to animals while they are waiting to be adopted. And what better way for a shelter pet to spend the holidays than in a warm and loving foster home.

Celebrate the life of a beloved person or pet with a Memorial gift to the CRD Animal Shelter.

Your memorial gift will honour your loved one's memory by helping CRD lost pets find their happily fur-ever after.

Donations to mark special occasions, such as birthdays, graduations and holidays, are a thoughtful and meaningful way to celebrate someone special in your life, while helping to change the lives of animals awaiting adoption at the CRD Animal Shelter.

Animals benefit not only our physical and mental health, but our quality of life.

We have an opportunity by adopting a lost pet to improve their quality of life too!

One way you can become a partner with CRD Animal Shelter is through the CRD Animal Shelter Legacy Program. The Legacy Program seeks your donations of money, land or other assets. These gifts benefit the lost and abandoned animals in our communities.

There are many reasons why a person, group or business might choose to gift to the CRD Animal Shelter:

• to commemorate a great occasion or achievement;
• to celebrate a birthday or anniversary;
• to assist in developing new programs;
• to improve and acquire new facilities;
• in remembrance of someone in a way that genuinely reflects their love of animals; and,
• just for the joy of it.

Have you connected with an animal in our shelter that is very special or who really warmed your heart? Perhaps it's not the right time for you to adopt, but you'd love to help get an animal adopted? Become a Guardian Angel by sponsoring a cat cage or dog kennel and show potential adopters that all animals are worthy of a loving home.

The plaque will be hung on your sponsored cat cage or dog kennel, which designates you as that pet's personal Guardian Angel. You can also sponsor a cage/kennel for your company, community group, organization or family.

Since we work hard to find all our shelter pets new homes as quickly as possible, you may help several animals during your sponsorship period.

Do you regularly shop online and on Amazon? You can now donate to the CRD Animal Shelter with Amazon! Start shopping now by clicking and checking out our Amazon Amazon Wish List.

Want to know what’s on our wish list?

• Martindale Collars (all sizes)
• 6’ flat leashes thin and thick
• Raw Frozen Bones (grocery store)
• Dried Liver Treats (for training)
• Canned cat food (Pate)
• Anti -pull harness (sensi-harness front clasp, all sizes)
• Temptation cat treats
• Cat Beds/Mats (washable)
• Fuzzy mice toys or other washable cat toys
• Breakaway Cat Collars
• Pine pellet cat litter
• Bleach
• Cat crates
• Xpen Large and Extra Large
• Stick and string cat toys
• Towels/Blankets
• Large Kong toys

Kuranda Beds

The CRD Animal Shelter uses Kuranda dog and cat beds because they provide more comfort for the animals during their stay with us. They are also durable, chew-proof and easy to clean. If you would like to help the animals by donating a bed to us, click on this link.