Santa Paws to benefit furry friends

Lawton Animal Shelter is trying to put the finishing touches on one of its favorite programs.

Just consider it an Angel Tree for children with furry faces and paws.

Santa Paws is a program designed to provide Christmas to families who want to provide for their pets, but find that money is tight. The shelter staff already has taken care of part one of the program: signing up qualified individuals and families who wanted to register their dogs and cats. Shelter officials said 55 dogs and 12 cats were registered for this year’s program.

Part two is up to the Lawton-Fort Sill community. The shelter needs people to come to the shelter and “adopt an angel,” selecting an animal whose needs have been put on cards that now decorate a Christmas tree in the corner of the shelter’s lobby. Each card specifies the animal and what he/she might need for Christmas.

Food is always welcome, shelter officials said, adding that increasing food prices have also affected the cost of pet food, which is stretching some budgets further than they can handle. Other items are those that pets may need or just enjoy – treats and bedding are always welcome and toys are a popular choice, shelter workers said.

The shelter is asking potential donors to sign up by Tuesday, with distribution of the Christmas items set between Dec. 10 and Dec. 17. There’s still plenty of animals who need some attention, because donors have been slow in responding this year.