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TheSnugglesProject
Monday Mar 31, 2008 10:29:00 AM
Hello friends I want to tell you about a project that I have been involved with for the past several yrs now. I found it by chance one day when I was online searching for animal rescue sites back in 2001 or 2002. What this project does is it helps make homeless shelter animals more comfortable in their cages and kennels. Life for a homeless animal in a shelter can be very stressful and anything we can do to help minimize that stress really makes a big difference. *Snuggles* are used as security blankets for the animals inside their cages and kennels to make them feel more at ease which can help make them more friendly and hopefully more adoptable. I have donated tons of blankets to my local animal shelter and Im very passionate about this project ;) For your reference, The Snuggles Project website has a shelter directory that lists participating shelters state by state. There are still some shelters that do not know about The Snuggles Project but could really use the donations of the Snuggles in their shelters for the animals. If your shelter does not currently accept Snuggles, you could ask them if they accept donations of blankets or towels for their shelter animals. If they say Yes, then they probably would like to be part of The Snuggles Project. If you would like to become involved with The Snuggles Project, please read the information provided below. If you enjoy sewing, knitting, crocheting, quilting, etc. then why not put your hobby to a good cause? The Snuggles dont have to be perfect, we just ask that they be made with love...
How The Snuggles Project Began...
Written by Rae French, President and Founder
Back in 1996 I found myself at a point when I had to make a life and death decision. Here is the story behind how The Snuggles Project began.
I had always fed any homeless animal who came to my door for food and gave them shelter when they needed a place to stay dry and warm. Now keep in mind that I was pretty naive back then about the situation for homeless animals and what they were facing on a broader scale in society. I just felt that I was doing what I could to help them out. It had been something that I had been doing since I was a child.
Over the previous few years, there was a Siamese cat who I had named Ladi Siam who was visiting quite regularly. She roamed her territory around my neighborhood and I often saw her spending time with her grown daughter and her grandkits. She was very weary of humans, but she allowed me to touch her and sometimes hold her. She was pregnant (again) and it was now almost time for her to give birth to a new litter.
Since I already had two cats of my own and didn't feel that I had any more room in the house for more, I figured that I would take her to the local humane society to be adopted. The way I saw it back then is that since she was a Siamese - she was adoptable; and since her soon-to-be-born babies were kittens - they would be adoptable. Well, as soon as I got her to the shelter intake area, my eyes were opened!
On the wall the shelter had a huge blackboard of statistics showing how many animals were brought in, how many were adopted, how many ended up being euthanized, and the reality of what happens to kittens as soon as they were born. The facts set my mind reeling. I turned around to say something to my husband and over his shoulder I saw a poster of a basket of kittens with the words "pick one and kiss the rest good-bye." My heart broke, tears ran down my face. My husband said "what do you want to do?" I said, "I'm taking her home." Within hours, Ladi Siam gave birth to 5 kittens!
That night I couldn't sleep as the numbers kept bouncing around in my mind. Then the numbers turned into faces of homeless animals. I knew that I had to find out more about the situation and do something about it.
The next day I went to as many animal shelters as I could find in the area. The situation was the same in every single shelter. I visited the animals in their cages and kennels. I wondered what I could do for them. Then it came to me -- I could at least make them comfortable while they waited for a new home.
I had learned to knit when I was nine years old. It was great fun and I enjoyed making scarves and mittens and little blankets for my lifelong cat friend, Fuzzy. I had called her little blankets Snuggles. A few years later, Fuzzy died unexpectedly. She left behind 5 kittens who I tried desperately to save -- feeding them warm milk and keeping them warm in their Snuggles. But, sadly, I was not able to save any of them.
I remembered that event when I thought of how I could help the homeless animals in the shelters. I would make them Snuggles!
But with so many animals needing Snuggles, I knew that I couldn't do it alone. At the time, I was running an online crochet group, Crochet Partners, with over 2,000 crocheters around the world. I asked if anyone wanted to help. Well, to my great surprise and amazement, boxes started arriving from all over the world with Snuggles. The idea caught on and the Snuggles Project was born. To this day, we have contributed over 500,000 Snuggles to animals in shelters worldwide.
The Snuggles Project is an exclusive special project of Hugs for Homeless Animals, a 501c3 nonprofit charity dedicated to homeless and displaced animals worldwide. I founded Hugs when I realized that we needed to do more.
Today, Hugs for Homeless Animals reaches tens of thousands of animal shelters and rescue groups around the world with service programs to assist their work to help the animals. We provide public education programs to teach people how to respect and care for the animals in their care and in society. To learn more about Hugs for Homeless Animals, visit our website at www.h4ha.org .
How You Can Help...
We are asking you to donate a little of your time and your leftover scraps of yarn or fabric to make snuggles for your local humane societies and animal shelters. Crochet, knit, quilt or sew cloth blankets in the following guideline sizes:
14" x 14" for cats and small animals
24" x 24" for cats and small to medium dogs
36" x 36" for medium to large dogs
These sizes are just guidelines. The actual Snuggles don't have to be exact. They could be made out of acrylic yarn or cotton in any pattern or color that you choose. The ends should be double-knotted and fastened off long and woven through the work to prevent unraveling from washing and wear. They are best when they are made thick for comfort and warmth. Many of our participating animal shelters and humane societies also accept donations of blankets and towels in the name of The Snuggles Project. All blankets and towels should be cleaned before sending. Please do not send yarn to local shelters unless they have specifically requested it. Very few have the volunteers or the resources to convert it to Snuggles.
Made With Love...
The Snuggles Project is a very good project for kids and people learning how to crochet, knit or quilt because the Snuggles don't have to be perfect. The animals love them any way they can get them. All that is required is that they be made with love.
Making A Snuggles Donation...
Refer to The Worldwide Shelter Directory www.h4ha.org/shelter-directory/index.php
Snuggles should be donated directly to any of the participating shelters listed in our Worldwide Shelter Directory. The participating shelters are marked with a Snuggle Kitten Icon. Please use a Snuggles Donation Form whenever donating directly to any local shelter. You can feel confident about donating directly to the participating shelters as they have specifically requested to receive Snuggles and understand how they should be used. If your local shelter is not listed, please let us know by either filling out the Online Shelter Registration Form on our website or by sending us a note including the shelter's name, address, telephone, fax, as well as email or website if you know it. Donating to shelters without a Snuggle Kitten Icon, please ask them if they accept them first. There are still many shelters who do not know about The Snuggles Project or do not have the facility to wash them. You may even offer your volunteer services to wash the Snuggles for the shelter in that case. The key question to ask your shelter is if they use towels and blankets in their cages and kennels. If they answer "yes" then more than likely they will want to receive Snuggles for their shelter animals. Additionally, if they do say yes and they don't have a Snuggle Kitten Icon yet, please let us know so that we can give them one!
Snuggles Donation Form...
Whenever you donate Snuggles to your local shelter, please report to us that you have done so. Here are a couple ways to report to us: Printable Snuggles Donation Report (enclose a copy to the shelter with your Snuggles donation and send us a copy via regular mail, fax, or by one of the report forms below) Online Snuggles Donation Report (save postage by filling out this online report)highly recomended!These reporting procedures are important because they help us keep our records accurate and allows us to monitor how well the project is doing. It is important that you follow through with this so that we can continue to help the animals. All donations receive a tax-deductible receipt which we send out in either postcard or email form. If you require any other type of receipt please let us know and include a SASE. Can't Crochet, Knit, Sew? We could really use your help by writing a check. Monetary donations are always welcome in any amount to support our programs for the animals. SheltersIf you are an animal shelter or rescue organization in need of Snuggles, please register or update your listing to become a participating shelter.
A Snuggle By Any Other Name...
We understand that some like to go their own way. They find out about The Snuggles Project and then have a need to make it their own. They name their Snuggles creations something different, e.g., blankies, animal cuddlies, snugglies, critter blankets, etc. They tell people that they make "blankies" for shelter animals and get write-ups in their local newspapers or on their local television news channel. And never mention where they got the idea.
But while we understand that some people have the need to do this at a personal level, we would also like you to understand that it devalues the project and the work that we have put into it.
The original idea for The Snuggles Project was created by Rae French, the president of Hugs for Homeless Animals. She officially created The Snuggles Project in 1996 but she had been making Snuggles for animals since 1960. At about the same time that she was learning how to knit, her cat died and left 5 newborn kittens. She tried desperately to save them, feeding them and especially keeping them warm. Unfortunately, the kittens didn't make it. But the Snuggles did and she continued to make them over the years for her own as well as friend's pets. It was destiny.
So while you are whistling the tune to "My Way" while you are knitting, crocheting or sewing your Snuggles, please respect the originality and the future of the project and give credit where credit is due.
Thank you and keep Snuggling!
Promoting the Project...
Get the Project Sheet to use as handouts. Snuggles Project Promotion Procedures and Guidelines The Snuggles Project is an exclusive and special project of Hugs for Homeless Animals, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to homeless and displaced animals. All rights, ownership and privileges pertaining to the Snuggles Project belong solely to Hugs for Homeless Animals. All public promotions in any form (e.g., televised, broadcast, print) must be pre-approved by management of Hugs for Homeless Animals. To request permission, contact our Public Relations DirectorThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it with the following information: Your name, address, daytime telephone, email Type and date of planned promotion Where and how promotion will be presented Contact person's name and telephone of presentation service provider Please provide sufficient advance notice for us to perform the approval process. You may not televise or print without written permission. Please Read: In addition to written permission, these strict rules apply in all cases.Under no circumstance, may you represent yourself or your company or group as the owner of the Snuggles Project or Hugs for Homeless Animals. You may not ask for monetary donations or sell the Snuggles. Contact information for Hugs for Homeless Animals must be prominently displayed as follows:
For more information about the Snuggles Project,
contact Hugs for Homeless Animals (www.h4ha.org)
Copyright © 1996-2008 Hugs for Homeless Animals. All rights reserved.
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