How to Put Your Shopping Dollars to Work Helping Animals

by Courtney Mroch | More from this Blogger

21 Dec 2006 01:20 PM

'Tis the season for spending, yes, but 'tis also the season for giving. (And not just gifts to loved ones.) If you'd like to help a worthy cause of the animal variety, but dread putting even more of a pinch on your pocketbook, fear not! Here's how to put those dollars you're spending anyway towards both gifts and a worthy cause:

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Chase Credit Cards: Platinum Visa Cards are available in four designs (Kitty Kard, Best Friends, ASPCA, and HLE). These are also Flexible Rewards cards, so you can earn points (one point for every dollar spent) that you can then use on merchandise, travel, cash back, or gift cards. In addition, Chase donates $75 to the ASPCA upon the first use of the card, and will also donate .7% from all purchases made. Donation Gifts: For the person who has everything, why not honor them with the ASPCA Honor Gift? You make a donation in any amount, they get a card (either via email or regular mail, your choice) telling them about this special gift in their name.

Online Store: Choose from books, cards, ornaments, jewelry, or even wine you can personalize with your pet's photo.

Best Friends Animal Society

Chase Credit Cards: This card isn't part of the Flexible Rewards program, but a percentage of each purchase is donated to BFAS to help rescue abandoned animals. The Best Friends Store: Find merchandise like totes and mugs, clothing and books for people, as well as goodies for that special pet (from catnip and treats, to dog and cat toys).

The Humane Society of the United States

Donation Gifts: Their motto: "Give gifts of compassion." You can make a donation in any amount, but gifts of $50 or more include a Take Along Plush Pet (choice of a cat or a dog, which comes in a carrying case, and includes an adoption certificate and "talks" when squeezed gently).

Humane Domain: Shop for people, things for the home, and of course things for your dog or cat. Magazine Fundraising: Magazine subscriptions make great gifts. And with popular titles at 85% off retail (with 40% going to HSUS) how can you go wrong? National Aquarium in Baltimore

Chase Credit Card: Platinum Visa Card with a Flexible Rewards program that lets you earn points (one point for every dollar spent) that you can then use on merchandise, travel, cash back, or gift cards. In addition, Chase donates a portion of each sale to the Aquarium for their "award-winning animal care, conservation and education programs." The World Wildlife Fund

Adoptions: Does someone on your list have a passion for a certain animal, like a penguin, panda, or dolphin? Adopt one for them! There are 40 animals to choose from. "Adoptions" start at $25 and come with a photo and an adoption certificate. $50 and up gets you a plush toy version of the selected animal. $100 and up puts it all in a festive WWF gift box.

Chase Credit Card: Platinum Visa Card available in three designs (Whale, Panda, or Tiger). Each time you use it, WWF gets one percent of the sale. Chase is also now running a program whereby they contribute $50 for every new card opened and activated online. (More than $10 million dollars has gone to the WWF from this program since 1995. Talk about the power of the dollar!)

Gift Memberships: Starting at just $15, you can give a gift of membership which comes with other benefits, such as a subscription to the FOCUS newsletter and access to a personal WWF homepage. In addition, you get a choice of gifts. For $15, you can choose between a tote bag or a nifty umbrella with an underwater scene on it. For $25, choose either a baseball cap or a bucket hat. For $50, choose either a set of pint glasses or a set of travel mugs. A $100 membership gives you the choice between a large black fleece vest with hat and scarf or a medium olive green fleece vest with hat and scarf. And if you're feeling extraordinarily generous, $1000 will get you a WWF Celebration of Life Book.

Shop Online: There are a lot of things to buy here that net proceeds for the WWF and gifts for you. Some examples are GOOD Magazine (choose WWF when subscribing, and GOOD then donates $20 of the subscription fee), calendars and boxed card sets from Barnes and Nobles (WWF gets three percent of the retail price on the calendars, and an additional five percent when you buy through WWF's website, as well as five percent on the cards), and Build-A-Bear Collectibears (the Snow Leopard is the newest in the series, and $1 from every one sold goes to WWF).

Related articles: Five Non-Cash Ways to Help Animals/Shelters This Holiday Season The ASPCA: Celebrating 140 Years! I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas

Learn more about Courtney Mroch

Courtney Mroch is a wife, a proud pet parent, and a writer. She's been with her husband, high school sweetheart Wayne Pryor, over 20 years, married 11 of those. She's "mom" to Mr. Meow, a.k.

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