KENT COUNTY, Mich. — Earlier in the week, the Kent County Animal Shelter was pleasantly surprised to receive a heartwarming gift.
“They sent it to us in the mail, and it came with this really, really nice note," said Angela Hollinshead, executive director of the Kent County Animal Shelter.
In a child’s writing the note says:
“Dear Kent County Animal Shelter, I had a lemonade stand and earned $80 plus some change, and my parents matched it. So over $160 are going to the animals. Maybe you can buy a toy or something for them. Sincerely, Abby”
And that’s exactly what the shelter did.
They were able to purchase not just one item, but $160 worth of toys and treats for the cats and dogs.
“It's just such a special gift for us to receive. This child decided to take their hard-earned money in something that they could have bought anything with and gifted it to an organization that can use it for animals," Hollinshead said.
The shelter posted Abby’s letter to Facebook and it went viral, with over 4,000 reactions and more than 1,000 shares.
“We published the note to social media, because that's what we had, and really wanted to highlight the good deed that this little girl had done and how amazing her parents are for offering to match. That's just such a wonderful thing to do," Hollinshead said.
Many of the shelter’s followers were motivated to match Abby’s gift.
In just a few hours, the shelter collected more than $700 from the community.
“We're so touched by this, this little act of kindness has really kind of created this ripple effect for other people wanting to join in and donate," Hollinshead said.
Because of that ripple effect, the animals will get even more goodies while they wait for their forever homes.
All thanks to a little girl named Abby.
Hollinshead said she wants to say thank you to Abby, her family and the community.
If you would like to donate to the shelter in honor of Abby click, here.