Christmas wishes for our CAPS friends

My mother truly taught me manners, and I’m a fan of Miss Manners, so I do know it’s not good manners to ask for gifts. In this case, however, I’m asking for others: our shelter guests who are waiting for their forever homes. I heard through the grapevine that our guests have some fairly specific items on their Christmas wish lists.

The doggies would just love some new dinner- and beverage-ware. What they’re using now has been around for a very long time and looks really beat up. So, some new, shiny stainless-steel food bowls and 2-gallon water buckets (also stainless steel) with handles would really delight them! Blankets are also needed. The kennels are heated, and our pooches have beds off the floor, but a blanket makes napping and sleeping more snuggly and comforting.

Our pooches would have their tails a waggin’ if they found any of these items in their stockings: Toys, brushes and treats—especially treats! But they refuse to eat treats that come from China; they want only USA-made treats. And, oh yes, new leashes and sturdy collars are also on the wish list, but what most of our buddies want are harnesses, which makes walking so much more safe and fun.

Their final wish is for more dog walkers. They absolutely adore their dedicated walkers but feel that their two-legged friends need more help! Winter is the best time for an activity like brisk walking, so you’ll do yourself some good as well. Besides that, if our pooches are walked often (thus leashed trained), they become more adoptable. You would get so much satisfaction knowing that your help got a pup a forever loving home.

Our feline friends didn’t ask for too much this year. That’s not to say that they don’t like getting gifts, though. They always appreciate treats (they don’t like China-made treats either), toys, more cat trees to climb and new litter boxes. And who doesn’t like new dishes? So new dinner bowls are on their wish list as well. Although they don’t go for walks, they always enjoy visitors who come to play with them. Socializing cats also makes them more adoptable.

Our guests also hope that the shelter staff gets some gifts, too, to help hold down the cost of keeping their home up and running (which these days is very expensive). The list passed on to me is this: bleach, laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent, heavy-duty garden hoses, office supplies, used office chairs in good condition, cat litter and towels (bath and kitchen).

Monetary gifts are of course always greatly appreciated, and you may even designate where it is spent. If you have any gift-giving questions about any mentioned item, please call the shelter (775-423-7500) during business hours (Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.).

The dogs’ and cats’ final wish is to find forever loving homes, where that special person or family will love and take care of them for the rest of their lives. That’s the biggest wish of all.

With Christmas on the near horizon, the New Year quickly follows, so now is the time to get 2014 calendars! Our 2014 Happy Endings calendar arrived last week, and a bargain at only $10, it is an inexpensive gift. (If you preordered calendars, please call the shelter to make arrangements to pick them up.) All proceeds directly benefit our shelter’s cats and dogs.

Mark your calendars that on Dec. 21 CAPS will be at Walmart, so please stop by and see us from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. We’ll have our usual goodies (which make wonderful Christmas gifts) for sale: pullover and zipped hoodies, sweat shirts, long- and short-sleeved T-shirts, calendars, caps, totes and baked goods.

Did you notice the adjectives with “hoodies”? We have had pullover hoodies for a good while, but zipped ones are new items in our merchandise. Many people (me included) find it cumbersome to wear a pullover hoodie, but a zipped one is another story altogether — so easy to put on and take off! If you want one before Dec. 21, please call the shelter (see days and hours above).

This week’s article was contributed by Betty Duncan, a member of the CAPS board of directors.