RALEIGH, N.C. — There are so many ways to shower the animal-lover in your life this holiday season. You could get those fun socks with their dog or cat's face on them. You could find that great wine glass or t-shirt that proudly states the are a "Dog Mom" or go for matching hair-ties and collars or bandanas. These are all great and fun gifts.
There are also many ways to make a positive impact on animals in our community in honor of a loved one. Here are some unique gifts for the animal lover in your life.
Most of these organizations offer to send a letter or special notification to the person for whom you make a gift or donation.
1) Donate to a local animal rescue
Monetary gifts are the biggest way you can make an impact for local animal rescue groups. Find your favorite local group and make a donation online.
If you like giving something physical, many rescues have a list of needed supplies on their websites or have Amazon Wish Lists.
The
SPCA of Wake County has a special holiday gift guide where you can select a symbolic gift with your donation and they will mail a card to the recipient (or you can pick it up in person). Choose from helping to fund emergency medical care, heartworm treatment, and more for animals in need. Each gift includes a holiday card and a sponsorship insert showing how the gift will help save lives. You
can order online, pick up at the SPCA in person or even select a digital download option for those last minute needs.
Check out their website.2) Help endangered animals through the NC Zoo
The North Carolina Zoo has really unique options for meaningful giving! You can "adopt" an animal, give directly to medical needs, support animal enrichment and education programs and help with special projects.
Here is a list of all the ways you can give.3) Help save Sea Turtles
Have a friend who loves the beach and animals? Consider a donation to the
North Carolina Aquarium, or a sea turtle rescue group.
Volunteers along the North Carolina coast work hard to identify and protect sea turtle nests every year. Here are some groups to consider:
Tara Lynn is a former WRAL reporter and anchor. She lends her 15-plus years in journalism to tell visual stories through love-filled photography for families of all kinds. The mother of three little humans and one senior rescue dog believes in celebrating magic in the little things, the big loves, and the imperfect moments that make the most remarkable memories. Her vision is to help families celebrate and share their love through photography and curated album artwork that become timeless keepsakes connecting multiple generations...because moments often pass in the blink of an eye, and the photographs we take connect us to our memories and our great loves, forever. 
