December 2015

Homemade gifts are often treasured items that create lasting memories.

Making these cat, dog and rabbit gift boxes is fun and simple. They can be made in various sizes to accommodate different items. If they will be used to hold gifts to be given to pets, make sure that eyes are drawn on (no googly eyes!) and avoid string or other materials that can be hazards for animals – just in case pets open their own gifts.

This owl puzzle box is completely safe for pets. They can chew the cardboard and pick at the enclosed tube to try to extract the treat inside!

The Gift of Nothing
by Patrick McDonnell

What do you give a friend who has everything? That’s the question that Mooch the cat asks himself in The Gift of Nothing.

Mooch wants to give his friend Earl a special gift, but Earl already has a bowl, a bed, a chew toy – and everything else a dog needs. After a lot of thought, Mooch decides that “nothing” is the best gift for Earl… but “in a world filled with so many somethings, where could he find nothing?” In the end, Mooch figures out how to give Earl nothing – and everything – by simply giving of himself.

A wonderful meditation on friendship and the value of offering our undivided time rather than “stuff,” The Gift of Nothing uses animal characters to draw in the reader and make us think differently about the gifts that we give our loved ones, including our pets. Patrick McDonnell’s signature illustrations echo the message of the story; even in their sparse simplicity they fill the pages with tenderness.

This book is recommended for Preschool to Grade 1, but may be enjoyed by all ages.

Get more BC SPCA book recommendations online.

The holiday season is about giving. If your club or school is collecting for your local food bank, don’t forget about families with pets!

Check with your local food bank to see if they take donations of pet food for clients who have pets at home. You can create gift bags that include some high quality canned and/or dry food, treats and toys.

If you want to give something extra special and heartfelt, try making one of our homemade toys for cats, dogs and small animals.

This one simple act on cold, B.C. winter mornings can help save animals from injury or worse: think and thump.

Often, cats and wildlife will gravitate to warm engines during cold weather. By banging the hood to alert them, B.C. drivers can help avoid a tragic ending for an animal seeking refuge from the cold.

“It just takes two seconds – as the weather gets colder, animals look for warmth wherever they can find it,” says BC SPCA manager of animal welfare Kim Monteith. “It’s a great idea to make ‘think and thump’ a habit every morning when it’s cold outside.

Watch our Tip Tuesday video and learn more about winter safety tips and read about other BC SPCA news that you may want to include in class discussions.

Kindness counts
(Primary)

  Bite free
(Primary/intermediate)

Making the right choice
(Intermediate)

You can make a difference
(Intermediate)

  The farm-food connection
(Intermediate)

Cats in the community
(Intermediate)

Including animals in social justice
(Intermediate/Secondary)

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On behalf of all the animals we care for and protect, thank you for your support.