AWS Wish List
Thank you for standing beside us as we help animals in need!
Donating food or supplies is a great way to help the more than 10,000 pets that receive care at AWS over the course of a year. Each and every item from our wish list makes a huge difference and supports our life-saving mission.
➡ Our Biggest Needs Right Now
➡ Visit our Online Wish Lists
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Important notes about our online wish lists:
- Neither Chewy or Amazon tell us who sends the donations so we are unable to express our gratitude directly. If you want to let us know your donations are coming or are in need of a tax receipt, please contact us.
- Amazon may not deliver certain wish list items due to the fact that we have two zip codes (physical address: Kennebunk, 04043; mailing address: West Kennebunk, 04094). Unfortunately, the issue is largely out of our hands as we have no way of knowing which items will be flagged as undeliverable by Amazon. We apologize in advance should you run into this issue and recommend you consider shopping at Chewy.com or sending us a gift card of comparative value. Thank you for understanding!
➡ Drop Off Wish List Items
Thank you for stopping by with your gift for the animals. We ask that you drop off your in-kind donations (food, supplies) at the designated spot in the front of the Adoption Center.
Top Ten Wishes
| Cats and Kittens | Dogs and Puppies |
|---|---|
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We ask for specific brands because keeping our animals on one brand of food during their stay avoids upset stomachs. Other donated pet food (such as Old Roy and store brands) are gratefully received by local food pantries to assist area pet owners in feeding their pets.
Would you like a reminder of our preferred brands? Download our Visual Wish List!
Other Important Needs
- Gift Cards to Hannaford, Market Basket, Wal-Mart, Amazon, Staples and Chewy or local pet supply stores
- Miracle Nipples w/ Miracle Brand Oring Syringe (for feeding orphaned kittens and puppies)
- Feliway and Adaptil products (including plug in refills, sprays and collars)
- Fresh vegetables (no iceberg)
- Small pet high-quality dry food/pellets (species-specific)
- Timothy hay chew sticks
- Carefresh small animal bedding
- Small pet igloo houses and enrichment toys
- Paper towels
- Toilet paper
- Postage stamps
- Copy paper
➡ Have a Supply Drive
Gather friends, coworkers and family members and collect items from our wish list. Supply drives are great way to celebrate your birthday, bond with your colleagues, or have fun as a family. Supply drive are especially popular around the holidays! Thank you for ensuring that all the pets at AWS will have a joyful and happy time while they’re with us with plenty of treats, toys, and nutritious food.
If you collect a large number of items, please contact us in advance to schedule a time to stop by. We like to celebrate your kindness and generosity and might be able to snap a picture or two with an animal! For children, we like to schedule a personalized hero tour when they make their gift, so they can see first hand how their donation makes a difference.
Need help getting started? Download our Visual Wish List!
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q. Do you need newspaper?
A: It’s very good of you to think of us. While we do use newspapers daily to line the kennels, right now we have a large back stock of donated paper and we are unable to safely store any more. We will update this message if/when we are in need of newspaper/newsprint again. Please consider bringing your excess newspaper to your local recycling facility.
Q. What about linens? I have a lot of bedding to donate.
A: Thank you for asking. Linens are accepted on a case-by-case basis, based on our needs at the moment. If you are looking to donate linens or bedding, please note we only utilize CERTAIN kinds. When we are running low and when we have sufficient storage space*, we are happy to accept towels, pillow cases (NO PILLOWS PLEASE) and throw-sized fleece blankets. We cannot accept or utilize comforters or bedspreads. AT THIS TIME, WE ARE ACCEPTING TOWELS ONLY.
* We have limited storage space at our facility. If you are thinking of donating a large quantity of linens, we kindly ask that you call us first to ensure we can use them right away or have the space to store them for later. Thank you!
Please consider local non-profits such as Maine Needs, if you have bedding, such as sheet sets or comforters to donate.
Q. What types of towels do you accept?
A: We can use stain-free towels of all sizes – from face cloths to bath towels. We can even use beach towels. Please be sure that your towels are free of any holes, rips or loose threads. If they are torn or have holes, we cannot use them, for the safety of our animals.
Q. Can you repurpose larger blankets, quilts or comforters?
A: Unfortunately, no. It’s a wonderful idea to cut up large comforters and blankets into kennel-sized pieces, but we do not have the capacity or need to do so. It’s also safest for our animals not to have loose threads or open edges on their bedding.
Q. Can you accept opened bags of food?
A: Unfortunately, we cannot accept opened bags of food. Thank you for understanding.
Q. Can you accept prescription medication or food?
A: Yes, we can. Depending on the medical needs of the pets at AWS and those that are seen at our Community Veterinary Clinic, we may be able to use it. If we do not have a pet with those medical needs at the time of your donation, we can hold on to it until it expires. Please understand that we cannot take expired food, expired medications or human liquid nutritional supplements (such as Resource, Ensure, Boost etc.).
Q. Is there anything you can’t accept?
A: Yes, and we thank you for asking. We are unable to accept the following items due to usability, safety, storage restrictions and laundry facility limitations.
- Newspaper/newsprint
- Pillows or Cushions
- Mattress Pads
- Bedding sets, comforters, quilts and large/heavy blankets
- Bath Mats
- Large dog beds (new or used)
- Food bowls
- Litter boxes
- Cat scratching posts
- Animal crates
- Small animal habitats
AWS incurs a tremendous expense to dispose of items that are dropped off that we cannot use. While we are incredibly appreciative of your thoughtful gestures, not all pet items that are used in a home can be used in a shelter and clinic setting. For the safety of our animals, large bedding items and blankets cannot be repurposed. Disposal fees take away funds that could be better used for animal care so we appreciate your understanding!
Q. I have items that aren’t listed here but I think AWS can use them.
A: If you have items you wish to donate that are not on this list and are wondering if we can use them, Please CALL US FIRST at (207) 985-3244 ext 200.
Thank you for your generous support!