Pets for life could use a helping paw this weekend

Oakland Tribune, Jul 13, 2007

HAYWARD -- Shiann Hallinan has always had a heart for animals.

Saturday and Sunday, the 13-year-old will be helping lead games and raffles during the Hayward Animal Shelter's "Pets 4 Life" event to educate people about pet adoption.

"I wanted to make a difference in the animal world," Hallinan said.

"I grew up around feral cats and felt bad for how they had to live."

A couple of years ago, one cat gave birth to kittens in her backyard and Hallinan started taking care of them, and a dog.

Hallinan and her friends are volunteering to help run game stations, where players of all ages will get a stamp that will enter them in a raffle.

The stations will offer information about feeding and watering pets, where they should sleep, exercise and pretty much everything pets need to survive, Hallinan said.

The raffle prizes will include books, pictures, as well as dog and cat gift baskets. Free goody bags for the pets also will be passed out.

Hallinan is no stranger to organizing. Last year, the middle school student conducted a drive at her school that raised $400 and several boxes of blankets, which were donated to the shelter.

For this weekend's Pets 4 Life event, she made about 500 fliers with her grandmother's help and took them around to veterinary clinics and pet stores.

"Pretty much everyone said that they'd love to help," she said.

Hallinan added that she has bigger plans and is thinking of doing a pet runway show, to show off the animals and pet clothes.

Also part of Pets 4 Life is the Hayward Animal Shelter's actual adoption event, during which the shelter is hoping to find home for many animals.

Normally the shelter is closed Sundays, so this is a bonus for people who can't visit the shelter during normal business hours, said Christina Gin, a Hayward Animal Shelter volunteer.

Pets 4 Life will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Hayward Animal Shelter, 16 Barnes Court. For more information, call the shelter at (510) 293-7200, ext. 10.