Animals shelters always asking for towels, blankets, duvets

[lljkk]

I have long wondered about why the constant need.

Do they just get badly soiled quickly so then get thrown away? Else why the constant need? I presume items get washed if not badly soiled, or maybe they don't ever get washed, just binned instead (?) Do the dogs rip them apart ?

I have ancient towels & duvets & blankets. I don't mind using them until they are threadbare/disintgrating.

Or do the towels get tossed if not still thick fabric in good repair?

I don't understand the constant need for shelters to ask for towels etc. unless the animals are constantly weeing/pooing/bleeding/being sick on them.

Is that what happens, lots of bodily fluids?

I went to my local dogs shelter to donate some dog food last weekend and was surprised they aren’t accepting duvets/blankets but happily accepted food. This is Birmingham Dogs Home.

This is an excellent post , it never occurred to me that I could donate towels, blankets and carpet .
I have lots that I can spare, will make it a priority to deliver asap as it’s very cold where I live .

Our rescue doesn't accept duvets . This is because dogs can shred them and eat the stuffing .
We accept most other blankets and we prefer fleece type as it's easier to dry . We never turn away food and beds . If the food that's donated isn't used or suitable it's then given to the local pet food bank . Nothing is ever wasted or binned .

They probably use vet bed not duvets or blankets, as stressed dogs can shred and eat the bedding, and can need surgery as a consequence, sadly

And off cuts of carpets are definitely welcomed at my rescue . As well as lining beds like another poster mentioned above , they're also great for lining the cat pods/crates where our poorly/ recovering cats are kept .

I have tried donating blankets and towels and they don't want it.

There is also the cost of drying these towels and blankets - imagine having 200 dogs in your kennels, how much tumble drying that would take and in this weather/winter there just isn't the space nor time to hang it out to dry.

Many dog rescues are also grateful for dog coats, to keep the dogs warm in addition to the heating they have.

It's the same round me, there are often parts on Facebook asking if any one wants old blankets and towels and the answer is always that animal shelters won't take them. Ive also ended up putting them in the textile recycling, I wonder why it's different in different areas

Some rescues have no storage space for bedding so they get very quickly overwhelmed if they get a lot of donations. They often have old buildings or limited space. It could be that they've just had a huge donation. They get a lot of crap dumped on them too which they have to pay to dispose of. So it will depend on the rescue. Some may say no due to recent infectious disease outbreak meaning they're not allowed to use or store soft furnishings.

Food is always helpful and appreciated! Always best to check with rescue first as animals can be on a special diet ☺️

We adopted our cat from Cats Protection. He was delivered by a volunteer with some knitted toys, a bowl, the litter tray from his previous home, a blanket and a towel. He took to hiding on top of the fridge/freezer, so I put an Amazon box up there with the blanket in it. He’s now a happy, cuddly, confident boy who rules the house, but if he’s worried (eg the hoover!) he still hops up into “box”. I binned the towel as he had no interest in it.

And what they really need could be volunteers to foster and / or to provide transport for vet visits, or money for all the vet bills. Spaying is expensive but crucial, especially for cats.

Just to add to my previous post that I set up a monthly DD to our local branch after we adopted our boy. We had to have our previous cat pts shortly before and I can’t be more grateful for this wee monkey who rescued me.

A shelter local to us put out a plea for loads of towels recently, because they were looking after several animals suffering from a communicable disease, and their bedding had to be changed frequently and not re-used.

We've just adopted an old man who came with a variety of toys and blankets to help him feel at home. Very grateful to the rescue and the fosterers for all the work and the money they spent on him to help him feel happy and comfortable before he came to us.

Cat tax included of him lying on my son's bed next to his blanket from the Blue Cross :-).

Thanks to the nice people for info.

I adopted 4 cats from CPL, 2 in 2011 & 2 in 2021; they came with no toys (or food) or blankets. I didn't mind or notice.

Our pets & cats that were PTS (2008-2010, 2020 & 2021) did not come back from vet with blankets or towels, either. I didn't mind or notice.

Am pretty sure my bedding/blankets/towels are too scruffy for even a rescue to want, lol. But I will remember the carpet idea, it's easy to end up with spare carpet pieces when flooring gets redone.

Wish I could find an animal shelter in my area that would take old duvets, blankets and towels as I have quite a stash they could have!

There’s a website called https://catchat.org that has lists of rescues by area, if that’s helpful to anyone.

Some lovely soul had crochet a tiny blanket when we collected our rescue cat, it came with her and a decade later though washed many times is in one of her baskets.

I gave all my old towels to a PDSA shop who passed them on.