There’s a wonderful organization, Operation Blankets of Love, that was started in California to help supply shelter animals with blankets for their cages to make them more comfortable.

Dear Animal Lovers,

How would you feel if your pet was in a shelter lying in a cage on a cold hard cement floor? You arrive at the shelter to adopt a family pet to see many of these abused, neglected and abandoned animals shivering and feeling isolated in their cages. Many of these dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens are euthanized if they are not adopted because of the crisis of pet overpopulation.

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Operation Blankets of Love (OBOL) was established in mid-January 2008. Our goal is to ensure that all homeless animals waiting to be adopted be as comfortable as possible by providing blankets, comforters, pet beds, towels, and other pet related items.

This is such a simple, but terrific, concept.  Everyone has old blankets they don’t use, now you can drop them off to one of the participating shelters where it will be put to good use. Hopefully this will spread around the country so all animals entering a shelter will have a little bit of comfort.

To find out the drop-off locations or how you can become a friend of Operation Blankets of Love stop by their site for all the details.

* Photo courtesy of the OBOL website.

The Durham Region Humane Society Shelter in Oshawa, Ontario was destroyed by a raging fire.  Only 8 dogs and 2 cats were able to be rescued, tragically 150 animals were killed.

What a heartbreaking story, many of the animals were waiting to be picked up to go to their new homes.

“We could hear the dogs barking when we got there,” said Platoon Chief Neil Crouter of Oshawa Fire Services. “There were leashes inside the door so the firefighters grabbed them, then grabbed the dogs and handed them to police at the door.”

Crouter said the dogs were further away from the fire, which was raging in the front part of the building, and that firefighters had barely enough time to grab a couple of cats in cages, he said.

The other cats were “already gone,” overcome by smoke long before the flames reached them, he said.

“At least they were asleep and didn’t feel anything.”

Police officers comforted the rescued animals and kept them warm in their cruisers while firefighters battled the blaze, which broke out around 2:15 a.m.

The cause of the fire is still being investigated. Damage to the 2,400-square-foot facility on Waterloo St. is estimated at $250,000.

Two sobbing teenagers placed red and white carnations in front of the building’s charred remains as shelter employees and volunteers gathered to grieve the lost creatures.

A grief counselor was being brought in to help the shelter workers and volunteers deal with the devastating loss. The dogs that were rescued were taken to the Farewell Street Shelter, they got big hugs from all the animal workers.

One of the saved dogs, Bailey, is getting a second chance at life. He was just rescued a few nights prior when  found tied to a fence in freezing weather,  now he’s one of  just eight dogs that survived the fire.

Meanwhile, the Durham organization, which relies solely on donations, will temporarily have to work out of the Oshawa Animal Services’ Farewell St. office.

The humane society has been trying for years to find a decent shelter to replace the Waterloo St. building they occupied for 20 years.

“It was too small and crowded and not the best place for us,” said shelter manager Ruby Richards. “We’re desperate for land so we can build our own but nobody will sell it to us.”

Monetary donations can be made via their website, humanedurham.com, or by contacting the Ontario SPCA at 1-888-668-7722, ext. 323.

* Photo of Rocco, one of the rescued dogs, courtesy Colin McConnell/Toronto Star.