Girl donates lemonade stand money to animal shelter, starting a domino effect of $3,000 donations

KENT COUNTY, Mich. – A Michigan girl who donated the proceeds from her lemonade sales to a local animal shelter has found national success as her act of charity inspired hundreds of people to donate.

Kent County Animal Shelter Director Angela Hollinshead said the shelter received a short, handwritten letter signed by a girl named Abby on Wednesday, Aug. 28. The envelope contained a check for $160 and a touching message, Hollinshead said.

“Dear Kent County (Animal) Shelter,” the child’s handwritten letter reads. “I had a lemonade stand and (made) $80 plus some change and my parents (kicked in) so over $160 goes to (animals).

“Maybe you can buy them a toy or something. Sincerely, Abby.”

Hollinshead said she was blown away by the girl’s kindness. The shelter typically receives donations when people adopt a pet or during the holidays, but it’s rare for children to send letters and donate hard-earned money for no reason.

“Anytime we have a young child who dedicates themselves to a cause in their community, whether it’s people or animals, and takes the money they earn and instead of using it for their own good, they decide to give it to an organization, that’s really special,” Hollinshead told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press.

Touched by Abby’s kindness, Hollinshead posted a photo of the letter on the animal shelter’s Facebook page, thanking the little girl and her parents for the gift. She didn’t expect the letter to go viral, but thousands of others across the country were equally inspired by the little girl.

Since it was posted three weeks ago on Facebook, the shelter’s post about the letter has received thousands of likes, shares and comments from people touched by Abby’s donation. Several said Abby’s act of charity gave them hope for future generations.

“This actually brought me to tears,” one person commented. “How precious.”

Many people were inspired by Abby and donated to the shelter in an amount matching her $80 donation or donated money and gifts in her name.

The shelter has received more than $3,000 in personalized gifts from people across the country since the post about Abby’s donation, which Hollinshead said is triple the amount the shelter typically receives in monthly donations. People have also sent boxes of treats and toys in Abby’s name.

“We often say that kindness is contagious. In this case, that statement is more true than ever,” Hollinshead said.

Hollinshead said the shelter put Abby’s $160 donation to “good use,” using the money to buy a huge supply of treats and toys for the shelter’s cats and dogs.

In the weeks after Abby made her donation, Hollinshead said she was overwhelmed by the community’s generosity.

Hollinshead said she still doesn’t know who Abby is or her parents. After receiving the letter on Aug. 28, Hollinshead said she sent a thank-you note to the return sender, but hasn’t heard from the family since.

The director said she hopes the news somehow reaches Abby and that she knows the impact she has had.

“We really want her to see how amazing a single act of kindness can be,” she said.

Hollinshead said the shelter uses donations to buy things it doesn’t have a budget for, such as extra toys and treats for the animals. Depending on the purpose of the donation, the shelter may also put the money into an emergency fund that covers the cost of specialized treatment or surgeries for injured animals.

“(The donations) will be used in a way that will truly help animals in the Kent County community,” Hollinshead said.

The Kent County Animal Shelter, located at 740 Fuller Ave. NE, currently has about 150 animals in its care, Hollinshead said.

As the county’s municipal animal shelter, the shelter takes in more than 3,000 animals a year, from cats and dogs to chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs, mice, sheep, goats and more. The animals are typically brought to the shelter when local police and animal control officers find them lost or running around.

Once a lost animal is brought in, the shelter will hold it in its care for a little over a week in hopes of reuniting it with its family. If no one claims the animal, the shelter will prepare it for adoption by neutering, vaccinating, and testing it.

“We hope to be able to release them through adoption,” she said. “If they are not candidates for adoption, we can connect them with one of our many transfer partners. We work with many different organizations throughout the state.”

The shelter also offers services and resources to help pet owners in Kent County, Hollinshead said. For example, if someone can’t afford pet food but doesn’t want to give their pet to a shelter, the shelter will give them food, she said.

“We want to make sure we do everything we can to keep them together,” Hollinshead said.

Anyone wishing to make a donation to the animal shelter in Abby’s name can do so online here . More information about the services offered by the Kent County Animal Shelter can be found on their website.