LinkyLilly Petzold made out pretty well at her eighth birthday party Thursday.



She got a box of Milk Bones, a 12-pack of Bounty paper towels, a box of drawstring trash bags and a 25-pound bag of Cat Tail Premium Cat Box Litter.

And that was only part of the haul, which spilled out of several grocery bags at the Round-A-Bout Skating Center in Eutaw Village Shopping Center.

Lilly won't get to keep all the loot, or any of it for that matter. And that's just fine with her.

When the invitations went out for Lilly's party, guests were asked not to bring gift certificates or money or games.

Or toys. Unless they were cat toys.

Lilly asked the more than 30 guests at her birthday party to bring items to be donated to Animal Haven of Cumberland County, a private, nonprofit shelter on Bragg Boulevard.

A trip to a pet store convinced Lilly that she should forsake her gifts in favor of helping lost, abandoned and abused animals.

"I thought, what about all the dogs and cats that don't have food?'' said Lilly, whose own pet is a Jack Russell terrier named Freckles. "My mom and my friend told me about Animal Haven.''

Lilly is a second-grader at St. Patrick School on Village Drive. Most of the guests at her party were classmates.

St. Patrick School stresses character development, said Lilly's mother, Bridget. The idea of having a birthday party for charity seemed to be a good fit with those lessons.

"This is something that she can do to help some other living thing,'' Bridget Petzold said. "Even though she's 8 years old, she can contribute to the world.''

Bridget ventured the possibility of an Animal Haven party to Lilly, who loved the idea. So did Lilly's father, Stephen, and her 11-year-old brother, Jack.


Alternative to cleaning

In fact, it was Jack who really sold Lilly on the idea. Lilly doesn't like to clean her room, and Jack pointed out that more toys would mean more stuff to clean up.

"That was the hook,'' Bridget said.

Bridget called Animal Haven and asked what they needed. The shelter was most in need of cleaning supplies.

The Petzolds included the list of needed supplies in the invitations for Lilly's party, and Thursday night the guests came through.

Sarah O'Hanlon, president of the board of directors of Animal Haven, said it wasn't the first time a child has used a birthday party to benefit the shelter.

"This children's birthday party is a wonderful idea,'' O'Hanlon said. "Children don't have many ways to participate in charity in their community. It's just a wonderful opportunity for all.''

O'Hanlon said the shelter depends on donations to keep the operation going. The shelter usually sees an increase in the number of animals when spring breeding season begins.

Right now, there are about 40 dogs and 20 cats at the shelter, said office manager Julie Roach. "We're kind of on our low side now,'' she said.

Animal Haven requires that its dogs and cats be vaccinated and spayed or neutered before being adopted out, O'Hanlon said. The shelter charges a $75 adoption fee, but O'Hanlon said that doesn't come close to covering the cost of housing and caring for the animals.

Donations such as those from Lilly and her friends are always welcome. "We always need everything,'' O'Hanlon said.

At the party Thursday night, Lilly's guests dropped off their bags of pet supplies before lacing up their skates and taking to the floor.

At one point, the DJ struck up a song. It was an appropriate one - "Who Let the Dogs Out.''