Golden Retriever Catches Mom Washing His Old Toys to Donate and He's Not Having It

No one can be a hero for every shelter dog in the world. As much as we want to take them all in and give them the best possible life we can, it's not feasible. One thing a lot of people can do, though, is help by making donations.

One dog mom tried her best to do this: she wanted to donate some of her dog's old toys to a nearby shelter. She also wanted to be courteous and wash them first, which was a great gesture, but also, apparently a bad idea:

The Golden Life of Bailey contains many things, and many toys, but not these ones. That was fine when he couldn't see them, but now, it's unacceptable.

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Bailey, like many other dogs in the world, is spoiled. He has an abundance of toys. He eats good food every day. He has a favorite blanket. He's allowed on the furniture. Bailey lives like a king!

After a while, though, the toy bin gets out of control. Every pet parent experiences that: at some point, you find that you need to declutter. Instead of just trashing a bunch of perfectly good toys that Bailey had barely touched, though, she decided to earn a few Good Person Points and donate them to a local shelter. Next time she has time to do this, I bet she'll do it somewhere Bailey can't see her!

Do Shelters Take Used Dog Toys?

Whether a shelter will take used dog toys varies from shelter to shelter. Some won't take them because there's a risk of contamination and to avoid upsetting the shelter dogs. Many will accept them if they're in good condition and have been washed before donation. Calling ahead to ask is the best idea.

When you're going through your old dog toy stash, you can also find other ways to get rid of them without sending them to the landfill! You can give them away to neighborhood dogs or friends and family. You can also list them for free on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace!

Even if your shelter won't take the used toys as donations, there are plenty of other ways to get involved, like:

1. Donating other things like blankets, pillows, bags of food, dog beds. etc.,.
1. Nail clippers, brushes, shampoo and conditioner are great too!
2. Volunteering at the actual shelter.
3. Becoming a foster home for animals.
4. Offering free services like photography for the pups.
1. Underrated: good photos help dogs get adopted!
5. If all else fails, making a cash donation or "sponsoring" an animal for the length of their shelter stay.

Bailey will live without these toys: if there are this many on the line to be donated, I don't even want to know how many are inside the house!