With the holiday gift giving season approaching, many Cass County residents will be looking to buy presents for their friends, family and loved ones. However, Cass County Animal Control is asking that residents look further and also give to society’s furriest creatures.

Cass County Animal Control will host its 17th annual Christmas for the Animals event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2 at the animal shelter, 323 N. M-62, Cassopolis. The event will serve as an open house for the shelter, where people can bring in donations and receive a treat and light refreshments.

“This is something that was dreamt up by a past director to offset some of our expenses,” said Cass County Animal Control Director Ronald Butts. “This can help us put more of our finances toward the animals themselves.”

Both monetary and pet supply donations are appreciated by the shelter, with special items needed this year being kitty litter, dry food for cats, dogs, puppies and kittens, and bleach for cleaning.

These donations mean that the shelter can spend less of its budget on these essential items, so that it can spend more money on items that can make the shelter animals more comfortable, such as toys and blankets, Butts said. This is especially helpful to animals that have a long stay in the shelter, he said.

The saved money is also used for adoption events and other promotions, such as the shelter’s twice annual Empty the Shelters adoption days, which allow people to adopt animals for free, Butts said.

“We try to acquire as many supplies as we can to get through the year,” he said. “The supplies we receive [at the Christmas for Animals event] is almost immeasurable in pounds, which has gotten us through a significant portion of the year. It is really helpful to us.”

Butts said the Christmas for the Animals has grown since he started taking part and that the shelter is grateful for the community for pitching in to help out the animals.

“It’s kind of morphed into this huge open house, where it is not only our annual fundraiser, but it’s also our thank-you back into the community for the support that we get each year,” Butts said. “It’s quite the event.”

Though the shelter discourages adoptions on the day of the Christmas event due to the hectic nature of the event, visitors will be able to visit with some of the pets, Butts said.

“We will take names if the individual is really serious about adopting a pet,” he said. “We actually did have several animals adopted last year due to this event, so it’s a really good thing.”

Butts said he hopes the community will turn out to this year’s event and continue to support the animal shelter.

“Looking at the numbers of unwanted pets in the United States is staggering,” Butts said. “Supporting shelter adoptions gives those animals a home, so we are glad that the Cass County community continues to support us and help out
these animals.”