The Pawfect Gift: Donate A Comfy Bed To A Shelter

Anyone who has ever adopted a dog from a shelter knows how tough it is to see all those sad, furry faces shivering in a cell, but two sisters are working together to bring a little bit of warmth and love to their lives.

Sarah and Tracy Grooters have started a campaign called “Have a heart, Donate a bed,” where they are collecting donations to provide 140 beds for the South Los Angeles Animal Care Center.

Sarah explained that they want to provide the shelters with a specific type of bed that is durable, water resistant and will not easily be destroyed by the dogs.

“Many people donate blankets and towels to their local shelter, which is fantastic and is needed. However, many dogs chew them up or get them dirty almost as soon as they’re put in the cage. This creates extra work for the shelter workers. A durable, water-resistant bed will last longer, which will ensure that all dogs have soft place to sleep every night,” Sarah said.

Kuranda, the company that makes these beds specifically designed for shelters, provides them to the Grooters at the discounted price of $52 each. The beds have sturdy frames and fabric that is easy for shelter workers to sanitize. The beds also come with a one-year warranty, which makes it even better for the shelter.

The Grooters are asking for donations of any size to help them reach their goal.

“We can’t forget about the pets still in the shelter. The shelter dogs are the neediest and deserve to feel loved, too. The shelter is such a stressful and unhappy place for the dogs. Anything we can do for a dog who could get euthanized in the morning is well worth it,” Sarah said.

According to an update on January 2, the site has received enough donations to purchase 15 beds. Sarah and three of her friends, including KTLA News Weekend Anchor Cher Calvin, assembled and placed the beds at the shelter last Saturday. She happily mentions that several of the dogs immediately fell asleep on their warm new beds, including a very skinny new mother named Leona, pictured below.

Donate a Bed is working through the Lu Parker Project, a non-profit group that was created by the former Miss USA and KTLA Special Correspondent Lu Parker, to improve the lives of at-risk youth and homeless animals through direct service, education and advocacy.

The Grooters are currently searching for companies that are willing to help create a Valentine’s Day campaign by partnering with them to create a holiday package.

“We’re planning a big Valentine’s Day push, possibly by partnering with a florist to drive donations up. Maybe there’s a restaurant that would be willing to donate dinner, food items or dessert, or some sort of event that would donate tickets or anything else Valentine’s Day related,” Sarah said.

For more information, visit the Donate a Bed website.

PHOTOS: Sarah Grooters

Kara Ogushi

Contributing writer Kara Ogushi is a pet mom to two dogs and five rabbits. When she isn’t writing travel tips for pooches, she’s exploring new ways to share and create media.