Birthday gift idea for a teenage girl

Girl's birthday goes to dogs . . .

Dog leashes, chew toys and animal food aren't typical birthday gifts for a teenage girl. However, when 13-year-old Laura Gifford addressed her birthday party invitations last month, she requested that friends bring presents suitable for the lonely animals in the Salt Lake County Animal Shelter, not for herself.

"I have pretty much everything I need, and they don't," Laura said. "I'm making them happy. Now they know how to play."

And Saturday, Laura officially celebrated her Feb. 14 birthday. She and her family distributed animal toys and treats to dozens of cats and dogs in the shelter, including a cat bed, a birthday gift from her sister, Katie.

"I just think it's really amazing that she'd be so unselfish to think of asking for gifts for pets in the shelter rather than gifts for herself," said Temma Martin, spokesperson for the shelter. "It doesn't seem typical of what a new teenager would be thinking."

When Laura decided to dedicate her birthday to the dogs and cats in the shelter, her mother, Jan, called and asked which items were most needed for the animals.

Fourteen birthday party invitations were sent to friends, and at the top of each card Laura and her mother wrote that instead of bringing a gift for her, to bring one for a dog or cat at the shelter. Underneath the note, they included a recommended list of items the shelter needed.

Among Laura's friends, the idea was a hit. Jan said even the parents were excited about the idea.

"I had a lot of parents say to me afterwards what a neat idea that was and what fun they had shopping for this," Jan said.

Laura's love for animals, particularly canines, stems from the three dogs her family adopted from the Salt Lake County Animal Shelter in past years. Only two are still alive, but Laura said seeing them play with tennis balls and deflated soccer balls encouraged her to bring happiness to other animals.

"She just loves animals," said Jan Gifford. "She wanted something for somebody else."

The shelter has anywhere from 100 to 200 animals at a time, making it difficult to provide a toy for each one, Martin said.

But with the birthday gifts from Laura, the items have the potential of creating more than just short-term enjoyment for the animals -- it may be key to finding them a home.

"To be able to give the cats a toy to play with or the dogs a toy to chew on makes a huge difference," Martin said. "It actually makes them more adoptable because if they're entertained when they are here, they look content."

E-mail: Liorg@desnews.com