Do you have pet supplies that you are no longer using? There are several worthy nonprofits in this area that would love your donation of used pet supplies. Here in Virginia Beach, you can make a difference when you donate old pet supplies! Every little bit helps!
(ALSO: Scroll down to see a list of non-pet used items that we would love if people donated.)
Does The Bunny Hutch Accept Used Pet Supplies? YES! (In Most Cases)
Here at The Bunny Hutch, we are able to put most pet supplies to good use. Yes, even gently used pet supplies!
We accept most items and can give you a receipt if you drop off during our normal open hours. For after-hours drop off, please contact info@thebunnyhutch.org.
We are always looking for items that can be used by small mammals such as bunnies, chinchillas, ferrets, rats, and guinea pigs. We are also always looking for donations for items from reptiles and amphibians such as frogs, snakes, geckos, bearded dragons, and newts.
Here are a few items that we cannot use at this time:
- Items that are broken or have rust
- Open bags of food or substrate (unless individual portions within the bag are sealed)
- Dog food
- Food that will go bad within a day or two
- Items for fish/aquariums (unless they are also able to be used in reptile tanks)
- Wooden hutches (unless they are brand new – then contact us first!)
- Dog/Cat collars, leashes, and harnesses
We are so grateful for every donation! We just want to make sure we can use your items. Unfortunately, we do have limited storage space and hate for items to go to waste if another organization could make better use of them. (See below.)
Please email us before dropping off the following items:
- Tanks – we can almost always use bow-front tanks or tanks that have a front-facing door. However, with normal tanks, we simply run out of space sometimes. It happens in a facility that is less than 2000 sq feet! If you have a tank to donate, please email us at info@thebunnyhutch.org so we can let you know if we have space for it.
- Travel Crates – we can always use small mammal crates that have a door on top and plastic travel totes used for reptiles. However, for all other crates… again, it is a space issue. We very rarely use crates that are bigger than medium-sized. That said, we do sometimes rescue larger animals such as pigs that need a big home! So just email us first to see if we can use your crate donation.
- Bird items – we do not rescue many birds, so we typically have all the bird items we need. That said, many bird items are also appropriate for other animals. So, let us know what you have!
- Large items – are you seeing a trend here? Basically, we are a very small shelter, so if we can’t use a large item immediately, we often don’t have space to store it. However, we do sometimes have a need when a unique animal comes through the door! Email us before you come out and we can let you know if we can use your item.
Other Shelters That Love Donations
Here in Virginia Beach, the Animal Care and Adoption Center loves donations that we often cannot take. They are just a mile down the road from our shelter, so it is easy to make a stop there if you are planning to drop off items we can use here.
If you don’t live in Virginia Beach, you city’s shelter always needs donations. Some people do not like to donate to these shelters because they are not no-kill. However, here’s the reality… no shelter wants to kill animals. We all love animals! When you donate items or money, it helps them save as many lives as possible. Don’t villianize the shelter – they are not the ones who abandoned an animal. We all do our best!
Most cities also have an SPCA that accepts donations. They do good work finding homes for animals and also providing a low-cost clinic for people to have their animals spayed, neutered, and vaccinated.
Lastly, of course, also look for other private shelters in your area. Us “little guys” are the ones who need your donations the most. We don’t get city funding and most of us are run 100% by volunteers. There are countless species and breed specific shelters in Hampton Roads and throughout Virginia. Always check their item donation policies before showing up at any facility, since they often have space restraints as well.
While You’re Cleaning Out the Garage…
Did you know that there are a lot of non-pet items we can use as well? We can’t speak for other shelters, but if you are looking for a place to donate old items in Virginia Beach, here are a few items that we can usually use:
- Gift Cards (yes, even half-empty ones!) – we can use gift cards to gas stations, grocery stores, pet supply stores, Walmart, Target, Costco, Lowe’s, Home Improvement, craft supply stores, Office Depot/Max, and of course Amazon!
- Unused canvases (if there are some marks on it, that’s fine, we can paint over it!)
- Office supplies
- Cleaning supplies
- Tech gear, such as old tablets or notebooks
- Power strips
- Coolers (we use them for reptile transport)
- Cotton sheets and towels (stains are fine as long as they don’t have holes)
- Plastic storage containers (like Tuperware)
- Kitchen supplies
- Stuffed animals
- Commercial retail display items such as sign holders
- Plastic totes with lids
- Leftovers from building/renovation projects such as pieces of granite/marble, tiles, resin, spray paint, blue painters tape, waterproof grout
- Live plants (MAYBE – if they are not toxic to our animals!)
- Animal food especially leafy greens such as kale, spinach, spring mix, collards, and fresh herbs
- Human food – our animals’ food needs always come first, but we are all volunteers here! We never turn down human snacks that can keep us fueled during the day such as fruit and vegetable trays, crackers, pretzels, and granola bars.
And of course we ALWAYS need donations of money, as well as donations of service providers such as auto mechanics, print shops, public relations experts, veterinarians, cleaning companies, photographers, and more. If you are willing, we will put you to work!
Thanks for consider The Bunny Hutch for your used item donations in Virginia Beach. If you have any questions, just email info@thebunnyhutch.org.