news-record.com

One Greensboro girl decided to use her birthday celebration as a way to help out a few furry friends.

Instead of presents, 6-year-old Abigail Lawrence requested that her party attendees bring items to be donated to the Guilford County Animal Shelter.

“We got a lot of dog food, some people brought cat food, some dishes and cat litter,” Abigail said.

Her party also brought in towels and chew toys.

Abigail and her family have a special place in their hearts for rescue dogs because their dog, Schatzie , is a rescue dog.

“At first, a man had him and got deployed to Afghanistan and left him with his brother,” Abigail’s mother Sarah Clegg said. “His brother had a baby who developed an allergy to the dog, so they had to give him away.”

Clegg says the family got Schatzie at a weekend adoption fair at the PetSmart on Lawndale Drive.

Abigail is a student at New Garden Friend’s School, where a lot of her schoolmates have opted to forgo birthday presents to help nonprofit organizations.

“I asked her about it, and I let her make the decision,” Clegg said. “She paused and really thought it through and said she’d like to give her presents to the animal shelter.”

It was all to help the “sweet doggies like Schatzie,” Abigail said.

“Why not bring the stuff for them instead of for me? They need it more than I do,” she finished.

Clegg said that she and Abigail’s father, Sangbo Lawrence , are extremely proud of their daughter for this generous decision.

“We’re proud that she was able to look beyond herself and do something for others,” Clegg said.

While Abigail requested her gifts be to help the animal shelter, some friends still bought her a present.

“And we said family members could buy her presents; she’s still 6,” her mom said.

Abigail and her family hope that her gesture will inspire more people to give back to the animal shelter.

“All the cute doggies and kitties need more stuff,” she said.

For more information on how to adopt a shelter pet or how to donate needed items and a list of the items, visit http://adoptshelterpets.org .

Contact Tiffany S. Jones at 373- 7157 or tiffany.jones
@news-record.com