One thing that makes buying an embroidered sweater with a print, more exciting is knowing that some of the money you spend goes to a good cause. When you sniff out the perfect gifts for the holidays this year, look to these 15 companies that have formed partnerships with shelters in need.
1. Alex and Ani
“Animals occupy an important place in our natural world, in our culture, and most importantly, in our homes,” Alex and Ani jewelry company says of their furry friends. For every share of Love Bangle sold, the company donates 20% of the purchase price to the ASPCA. No matter how many bracelets are sold, Alex and Ani have pledged to donate a minimum of $20,000 to animals in need between December 2014 and December 2015.
2. West Elm
Inspired by some of the internet’s most popular dogs like Manny the Frenchie, Koroto, and Chibi, West Elm partnered with the ASPCA this year to create a special line of handcrafted ornaments. For each ornament animal, West Elm will donate $1 to the ASPCA. And because they’re the feel, these ornaments are great little decorations for your cork board away for Christmas.
4. Candle Cafe
Candle Café is best known as the vegan restaurant on New York’s Upper East Side, but the company sells frozen vegan meals, too—and a portion of its proceeds are donated to the Humane Society of the United States. You can get any of Candle Cafe’s four frozen vegan meals at your local Whole Foods market.
5. Delta Airlines
With Delta Airlines’ SkyWish program, members of the airline’s SkyMiles program can donate unused miles to the Humane Society of the United States, which uses the miles to transport employees and animals.
6. Lush
Lush is brave enough to fight against animal testing, but they also have a special product called Charity Pots whose proceeds are donated to “humane, environmental and animal causes locally and around the world.” In the past, Lush has donated to Project Beagle Freedom, which rescues dogs from product testing.
7. Amazon
When you use Amazon Smile, a portion of every purchase you make is donated to the charity of your choice. Amazon Smile is home to more than 20,000 animal rescue organizations including the ASPCA, McKamey Animal Center, and Animal Protection of the World.
8. Purina
If you are a company that makes dog food, it only makes sense to donate, good food for dogs. In 2014, Purina donated nearly 6 million pounds of pet food and treats to more than 940 shelters and organizations in the United States. Purina also recently acquired Petfinder, which works with more than 13,000 shelters across the country to create a database to find animals in need of a home, and has assisted 24 million adoptions to date.
9. Hallmark
Meet Glengle and Bell, the face of Hallmark’s campaign to help pets find loving homes. This season, Hallmark donated $100,000 to the Best Friends Animal Society to cover adoption fees for the next two years. This holiday season, Hallmark is selling jingle and bell toys, children’s books, and even toys for dogs.
10. Overstock
Overstock has always been a company with compassion at the heart of everything it does, so partnering with Best Friends Animal Society was no brainer. Overstock has a base in Utah near Best Friends, so the two have become best friends. On the Overstock website, they say, “We believe every animal deserves a good home, so we fully support Best Friends’ endless initiatives and extraordinary adoption program.”
11. Best Western
With Best Western’s rewards program, frequent flyers can donate their points to the Best Friends Animal Association. For every 500 points, you can award $2 to a no-kill shelter.
12. Build-A-Bear
They may focus their efforts on the bears in the store, but when it comes to making a donation, Build-A-Bear is proud to have donated more than $41 million to improve the lives of humans and animals alike. The Hugs Foundation has given away welfare programs like RedRover Donations and Save the Pet that have made a huge difference to dogs’ lives.
13. Vans
Check out these fresh kicks! Vans has a private slip line in association with the ASPCA to promote the work they do and raise awareness for animal welfare.
14. Kong
Every dog loves to chew on a Kong, and dogs in shelters should not be denied this luxury. On the Kong website, shelters and rescues can register and receive free Kongs, event donations, new customization tools, and more.
15. Petco
Petco pretty much does it all. Besides providing you with the best toys and gifts for your dog, the company fosters more than 400,000 animals each year through its Think Adoption First program. Petco also makes grants to welfare organizations to fund shelters and adoptions.
