This holiday was an especially nice one for me, and it's not just because I was able to spend it with my family all the way across the country. I also made a special trip to Washington D.C. with my mother to hand deliver a fur coat to the Humane Society of the United States, thus providing aid and comfort to injured and orphaned wildlife.
Twenty years ago, my darling Mom won a fur coat in a contest at a party. Never having been a fan of fur, she stashed the coat in the attic, and it's been collecting dust ever since. After we heard about HSUS' program Coats for Cubs, we spent no time hesitating, dug the old fur out and were on our way to D.C.!
Coats for Cubs uses the coats to give BACK to the animals - the furs are cut into an appropriate size for the animal, whether it be a bobcat, fox, raccoon, squirrel, or rabbit, and placed inside the animal's enclosure. The furry blanket becomes a surrogate mother to orphaned animals, reducing stress and giving comfort. One rehabilitator related a story about a restless orphaned river otter who chirped constantly. Once she was given a fur blanket, she settled right down. Turning the sleeve of a fur coat inside out, a rehabilitator can also create a warm nest for a burrowing animal such as an opossum. Some animals adopt a piece of fur as a playmate, jumping on it and wrestling with it.
While most of us can't make it to the HSUS headquarters ourselves, you also have the option of shipping your fur coat donation to HSUS. Or you can visit Buffalo Exchange, a thrift store that has 36 locations across the country and has partnered with HSUS to collect fur items.
The donation is tax deductible, and HSUS will send you a fancy thank you letter and everything. (I think I'd rather see photos of the cute animals that will be saved by our donation, but the letter is pretty nice too.)
By the way, the next day I saw the cutest fox running across a field, and I'm about 90% sure that it was a sign - he was totally saying "thank you."
For more info on how to donate old fur items, visit Coats For Cubs.
