Volunteer Anywhere
Craft Projects for Individuals and GroupsService projects for individuals and groups
Help Animal Friends Alliance from home―or anywhere!
You can help the animals in our care by providing homemade items for their comfort and enrichment. At Animal Friends Alliance, it’s important to us that our animals receive the highest standard of care, and that include receiving regular enrichment to encourage mental stimulation and reinforce positive behaviors. Thank you for helping us provide this special care for our shelter dogs and cats!
Craft projects for the animals
Snuffle Mats
- A snuffle mat is a homemade toy that provides a dog with an opportunity to sniff and search for hidden treats. The snuffle mat consists of fleece strips tied on to a rubber mat with holes in it.
- Supplies Needed:
- Rubber mats with holes
- Fleece (Approximately 1 yard per 1 square foot of mat)
- Scissors
- How to Make a Snuffle Mat
Dog Toys
- Here are some ideas for dog toys that you can make from ordinary household items.
- Dog Toys with Tennis Balls
- Supplies:
- Rope or fabric to cut into long strips (we especially need toys for big dogs)
- Old sheets, fleece blankets, etc.
- Tennis balls
- Scissors
- How to Make a DIY Ball and Rope Toy for Dogs
- More Ideas for Dog Toys
- Dog Toys without Tennis Balls
- Supplies:
- 3 & 1/4 yard pieces of different colored or patterned fleece
- Scissors or a rotary cutter
- 2 rubber bands
- How to Make a Fleece Rope Dog Toy
No-Sew Dog Beds
- There are lots of examples of these online. We actually need them without the stuffing inside, because we wash bedding frequently, and the stuffing gets all wadded up in the dryer. So two pieces of fleece just knotted together works better.
- A good size for our beds is about 28 by 44 inches. This can be a more expensive project due to the quantity of fleece needed.
- How to Make a Dog Blanket with Fleece
Toys for Cats
- We particularly need toys for cats and kittens in our isolation and ringworm wards. These areas have very sick cats and kittens who have few visitors on a daily basis. Disposable toys are great because they can be recycled or thrown away to prevent the spead of illness. The toys help entertain the cats, provide mental stimulation, and get them moving around, which all help make them feel better faster.
- The only rule for homemade toys is: do not use string, yarn or frayed fabric. The cats and kittens can choke on or swallow bits they may chew off. Please use fleece, flannel, or old t-shirts for fabric toys, to reduce frayed edges. Catnip and treats are ok, just please make sure they are stored in different containers, as some cats can have allergies to food items.
- Here are some ideas for toys you all can make for free or inexpensively:
- Cardboard mice
- Fabric Spider
- Cardboard Treat Toys
- No-Sew Knots
- Easy Cat Toys made from Toilet Paper Tubes
- 5 Quick Projects for Kids
- Pinterest is a great place to research ideas for homemade cat toys. We’ve even used bottle caps as easy to clean toys for cats to bat around!