Everybody has to read this!

This great article is about one of my adopters! Bella is a blue eyed catahoula mix I pulled from a local shelter in GA. She was adopted by this family in PA, who heard about her through the aunt mentioned in the article, who lives in GA and also rescues catahoulas. Ahhh, this is why I do this. It feels GREAT to see this [img]http://www.proboards8.com/v4images/smiley.gif" alt="" border="0"/>

Dogs receive gifts in honor of first-grader's birthday

By Tawnya Panizzi
Staff writer
Thursday, May 1, 2003

O'HARA: Mary Kate Noonan had a howlingly good idea for her seventh birthday party, but it went straight to the dogs.

Mary Kate, a first-grader at Kerr Elementary, decided to share her celebration with some less fortunate pals -- the homeless cats and dogs at Animal Friends, Pittsburgh's only no-kill adoption shelter.

Instead of gifts for herself, Mary Kate asked her friends to bring bundles of blankets and cans of cat food for animals who spend their days in cages.

"I don't mind because I get presents at Christmas and Easter," said the perky redhead, whose age belies her maturity. "I just wanted dog food."

She got her wish, and now, so will the 100 homeless dog and cats kept at the shelter in Pittsburgh's Strip District. Mary Kate's loot included a brimming mound of bagged food, biscuits, leashes and litter. She plans to deliver it this week.

"I kind of got the idea from my aunt," Mary Kate said. "She has lots of dogs."

Her aunt, Liz Nicholas, is a professional artist who often focuses on abandoned animals in an effort to educate the public on animal abuse. Last year, she was honored for her work by Animal Friends.

"Mary Kate is very close with my sister, and she's aware of the harsh realities that these animals face," said Christine Noonan, Mary Kate's mom.

"When she had this idea, I asked her several times if she was sure. I didn't want her to be disappointed, or to come up with an idea and not stick with it."

Guests, too, were uncertain if Mary Kate was serious. They didn't want to slight the birthday girl.

"People called to ask if this was for real," Christine said. "I tried to discourage them from bringing additional gifts for Mary Kate because I wanted her to maintain the charitable gesture."

Her daughter didn't disappoint. She remained loyal to the unselfish idea and had as much fun tearing through the brightly-wrapped squeaky toys as she would baby dolls, her mother said.

Her party guests were barking with excitement too. They were treated to a visit to the "Paw Spa," for manicures and to "Bella's Beauty Boutique," where they each got a beaded pig tail. Games included "Smooch the Pooch," a custom version of "Pin the Tail on the Donkey," where blindfolded party-goers tried to match a pair of red paper lips to a life-size dog poster.

"We got that idea cause my aunt kisses her dogs a lot," Mary Kate said.

Her favorite game was the "find the dog thingie," she said of her mother's original "Bone and Fish Scavenger Hunt."

Christine cut bones and fish from foam and hid them throughout the family's Robinhood Road home. Each cutout was marked with a letter and guests raced to spell out "Dog," and "Cat."

"My other favorite was showing off Bella," Mary Kate said.

Bella, a two-year-old mix of Catahoula Leopard and Australian Cattle Dog, was the one thing Mary Kate received for herself on her birthday. The dog was adopted by the Noonans on April 1.

"That was the best thing about my birthday," Mary Kate said, hugging her new best friend. "I love Bella."

[Boscosmom]

I love stories like that.

It's getting pretty popular around here - every few months we have a kid having a birthday party, wanting their friends to bring money or toys/food/supplies for our ARF cats and dogs.

AMAZING kids. Makes me actually think it might not be so bad having one

[Judi]

Mary Kate is such a sweet and generous little girl. Looks like you found a terrific family for Bella. Thanks for sharing this. It's the kind of article that really makes you feel good when you read it. Those games sound like a great idea.

I just came across this when googling my daughter Mary Kate's name. We still have Bella and love her more than one could imagine. Mary Kate is now 13, going on 14 and her brother, Patrick, is a year behind her. They still fight over who's bed she is going to sllep in at night. Adopting a shelter animal is so worth it. She loves us as much as we love her.

[muttdad]

Wow! Thanks for the update.

This is me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!