Vinton and Cave Spring businesses give angel trees a furry twist
ROANOKE–During the Christmas season, it’s hard to walk into a shopping center without seeing an Angel Tree filled with the wish lists of local boys and girls in poverty. This year, though, angel trees aren’t just for children.
“At Christmas time, I always think of the angel trees,” said Andrea Bailey, owner of Doggie Doos Grooming Salon in Vinton. “One time I said, ‘I wish we could do one for dogs.’”
Bailey is getting her wish. This year, homeless pets and service dogs in Roanoke are gaining attention, and some greatly needed donations, through their own angel trees. Filled with photos of doe-eyed service dogs in training, or with colorful illustrations of dogs with wings, the pet trees have their own lists of needs for the holidays. And while children’s Christmas wishes are important, people from the Roanoke Valley SPCA, Angels of Assisi, and the Saint Francis Service Dog Foundation hope that people have enough Christmas spirit left over to help needy animals as well. With assistance from people like Bailey, the organizations are getting their wish.
Doggie Doos Grooming Salon owner Andrea Bailey has put up an angel tree to encourage donations to the Roanoke Valley SPCA and Angels of Assis. Photo by Kristin Adams
A groomer for 21 years and the owner of Doggie Doos Grooming Salon since July 2009, Bailey has always had a passion for homeless animals. This Christmas, though, she has decided to pair monetary donations with something more out-of-the-box: an angel tree for homeless pets.
“Dogs are angels, too,” Bailey said.
Inspired by the Salvation Army’s angel trees, Bailey went to Angels of Assisi and the Roanoke Valley SPCA and asked for their wish lists. Searching online she found illustrations of dogs with wings, and chose one picture for each organization. She put up a tree inside Doggie Doos, hole-punched copies of each of the pictures, and hung them up. Now, she just needs people to pick up the dog angels, buy items from the wish list, and then drop the gifts off at Doggie Doos, the Vinton Veterinary Hospital, or Woodforest National Bank in Bonsack by December 23.
“Just tape [the angel] to the gift and drop it off,” Bailey said. “I hope I have a whole U-Haul truck of stuff to take to them,” Bailey said.
While Bailey’s doggie angel tree is already a success after less than a week—and she plans to put up separate trees for each organization next year—she isn’t actually the first to use the dog angel tree idea in the Roanoke Valley. Two years ago, also inspired by the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program, the Saint Francis Service Dog Foundation put up its own tree inside Tanglewood Mall, where they often train the dogs. That angel tree featured photos of many of their young dogs who were in training to be future service dogs. Each ornament hanging on the tree featured a photo of the dog, the dog’s name, and a list of food and toys it hoped to receive for Christmas.
Generous Tanglewood Mall shoppers can pick up ornaments such as this one to donate to a service dog in training at Saint Francis Service Dog Foundation. Photo by Kristin Adams
“Some buy everything on the list. I would say most buy everything on the list, [but you don’t have to],” Saint Francis’ Development Director Niki Voudren said.
The fundraiser was a huge success, and this year will be the third time that they will have an angel tree.
“We are a local non-profit, and being local I think is pretty key,” Voudren said about why the fundraiser is a success. “We train service dogs for children and adults with disabilities. We don’t receive government funds or insurance re-imbursements, so this is a big fundraiser for us.”
The tree, which has been up for about two weeks, features future service dogs in training, from eight-week-old puppies to two year olds on the verge of graduation from the program. The deadline to donate is December 18, and items are being collected inside Star City Batteries on the second floor of Tanglewood Mall.
The Saint Francis Service Dog Foundation's angel tree at Tanglewood Mall is filled with service dogs in training who are in need of donations. Photo by Kristin Adams
“They’re just the nicest people in the world, and I love what they do with those dogs,” Star City Batteries manager Chris Pierce said about why the company agreed to collect the donations.
The Vinton Messenger dated Sept. 22 ,2011
Article- School sign flash point of meeting by Carrie Cox.
The first pagagraph has a error. The Town council voted 3 for & 2 against, not unanimous. This makes it look like their was no oppisition.
Would you correct this in your next edition.
You must be fair & balanced.
Thanks.