Local animal rescue group creates shelters for stray animals over winter

Written By ALYSSA PARKHILL

As the weather proceeds to get colder, the small animals on the street are in danger of freezing, getting very ill, or worse, not surviving the winter. That's where Donate A Paw is lending their hand to help these animals.

Megan Chiodi began Donate A Paw this past January. With an extensive history in animal care herself, she took it upon herself to open up her own rescue.

“We're a non-profit organization that rescues cats and small animals. Our first rescue was a bunny that was dumped in one of the Caledon trails,” says Chiodi. “That was our first rescue. I have a lot of animal history myself, I work at a vet clinic, shelters, and I also went to school for it.”

She added, “Once I built myself up I started rescuing more cats that were outdoors, surrenders, small animals that have been abandoned or neglected.”

The rescue group is foster-based, meaning it works solely on a voluntary basis where people agree to take care of the animals until adoption. Supplies such as food and litter are donated to give to the fosters when they run out.

“I realized a lot of shelters and non-profit organizations they rely so much on donations. That's when I started saying that I want to help other people and help as much as I can for the animals because they can't speak for themselves,” says Chiodi.

Donate a Paw has put together a Cat Shelter Project, which builds small shelters for residents to put around their homes for stray cats to seek warmth during the winter season. The non-profit organization is asking for donations of storage bins and other supplies to help build these shelters.

Chiodi's father, Piero Chiodi, ended up building all the cat shelters himself. The supplies needed for these shelters were graciously donated by several members of the community, who share the same sympathy and desire to help these stray cats try to keep warm. 

These shelters can be placed on residential properties, workplaces, farms, basically wherever a stray cat may be around. People who want to help these cats can also provide a plastic water bowl and checking it twice a day to make sure it doesn't freeze and keeping it near the shelter, as well as dry kibble or heated up canned food to help give them those extra calories to keep them warm.

For more information or how to help the rescue group, visit donateapaw.wixsite.com.