The Cashiers Highlands Humane Society is hosting its seventh annual “Stuff the Stockings” event to benefit the more than 110 animals currently in the facility’s care.
Each CHHS shelter pet has a personalized stocking, and the humane society’s staff is hoping to fill them with food, toys, treats, and supplies.
The drive was created about a decade ago during the shelter’s Thanksgiving-themed food drive for the pets. As community members continued to step up to the plate and donate more than was asked of them, including toys, blankets, and other items.
“So many of our wonderful supporters expressed a desire to donate more than just food,” Cashiers Highlands Humane Society Executive Director David Stroud said last year. “They wanted to give toys, treats, beds, and many other shelter supplies on our wish list. And we heard a lot of feedback from our donors that the event should extend through both Thanksgiving and Christmas, and thus, six years ago Stuff the Stockings was born.”
The donations can include crunchy dog treats, bully sticks and Busy Bones; cat treats; canned food and dry kibble such Purina dog chow, cat chow, puppy and kitten chow; stuffed toys and durable toys for dogs such as Kongs; interactive toys for cats and kittens; pet supplies including leashes, collars, harnesses, slow feeder bowls, cat scratching posts, dog and cat beds, and small fleece blankets.
Stuff the Stockings gifts can be purchased or dropped off at local participating sponsors, such as Woof Gang Bakery in Cashiers, Paws on the Mountain in Cashiers, Cashiers Valley Pharmacy, Highlands Hiker in Cashiers, and two new locations this year at Highlands Mountain Paws, and the Highlands Animal Wellness Hospital.
People can also bring the gifts to the shelter or ship them via UPS or FedEx to Cashiers Highlands Humane Society, 200 Gable Drive, Sapphire, NC 28774.
The shelter also has a Chewy wish list and Amazon wish list available online by searching “Cashiers-Highlands Humane Society” or by visiting the shelter’s website.
Donations of these items, as well as monetary donations, are needed year-round and not just the holidays.
Jodi Henkel, assistant shelter manager, said wishlists will be available at each dropoff location and at the Cashiers-Highlands Humane Society.
Henkel said the donations are helpful during the winter when town is quiet after part-time residents leave Cashiers.
“Each year, it’s kind of grown more and more,” Henkel said. “More places have wanted to be host locations, so we’re hoping for another great year. It’s been a success every year in the past and we kind of use these donations, they last us for a really long time.”
She said this year has not been great since adoptions are down and the intake has increased, which she noted has been true for a lot of shelters across the country. The Cashiers-Highlands Humane Society is at capacity for cats and dogs going into the Christmas season.
“A lot of speculation is it could be due to the financial burden and inflation in our country,” Henkel said. “There could also be a lot when it comes to post-pandemic things since a lot of people weren’t able to get pets fixed, and a lot of people are going back to work meaning they can’t take care of the pets they got during the pandemic. I think there are a lot of factors that play into it, but it’s not just us that has been affected. It’s animal welfare nationwide.”
For questions or more information on the Cashiers Highlands Humane Society, adoption inquiries and donations, call 828-743-5852 or visit www.chhumanesociety.org.