As the holiday season arrives, it's important to remember to give back to those in need – including our animal friends.
There are so many ways to lend a helping hand to abandoned animals, like this hero who fashions warm sweaters for featherless rescue chickens.
But when I discovered how one organization was transforming donated fur coats? I was absolutely blown away!
While many are opposed to fur coats in the first place, Cuddle Coats, a Minnesota based nonprofit, is using unwanted fur items to give back to abandoned rescue animals.
After stripping the garments of their buttons and zippers, the pelts are send to wildlife rehabilitation centers across the country to help keep these creatures warm and comfortable.
Scroll through the pictures below to see just how Cuddle Coats is helping animals across the country feel a little bit comfier and warmer this winter.
Would you donate your old coats to this amazing cause? Let us know in the comments.
h/t Huffington Post
Cuddle Coats uses donated furs to provide comfort, warmth, and rehabilitation to injured and orphaned animals before their release back into the wild.
"We wanted to find a way to make use of the fur that was so brutally taken from animals. Cuddle Coats is a way to give [that] fur back to the animals," Alexandra Beane, chair of the program, shared with The Huffington Post.
The organization itself is part of the Animal Rights Coalition, which is dedicated to making the world a better place for animals everywhere.
Cuddle Coats provides fur at no cost to over 50 wildlife rehab clinics across the country, having taken in over 800 donated coats to date.
So how does the nonprofit work?
After receiving an old coat, volunteers help deconstruct the item of clothing into simple pieces of pelt.
The fur is then used to keep animals of all kinds warm and safe during their rehabilitation process.
"The furs [also] help to minimize contact with humans, helping to improve their chances of survival when they are released back into the wild," Alexandra shares with The Huffington Post.
"The fur that was once brutally taken from animals such as rabbits can now be used as a source of care and compassion."
What kinds of animals does Cuddle Coats provide for?
They’ve been put to use for “bunnies, chipmunks, squirrels, beavers, mice, opossums, raccoons, bobcats, kittens, deer, wolves and more,” says Alexandra.
As long as the fur mimics a mother’s pelt (even if it’s from a different animal), the critters are happy.
Donna Ralph, of the Ellicot Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Colorado, told the Huffington Post, "We’ve used the coats for squirrels, fox and coyotes. Babies for snuggling and playing — and, frankly, adult foxes and coyotes just like to tear them up, which is fine with me."
The furs are truly able to comfort babies in a way that other materials, like terrycloth towels, cannot.
Better still, Cuddle Coats is helping to take fur coats out of circulation and use them for something positive, giving back to the animals themselves.
"We want to show people that fur is cruel and outdated, and that fur belongs to animals," Alexandra, chair of Cuddle Coats, shares with The Huffington Post.
The organization also uses their Facebook page to share photos of these adorable animals in need.
By documenting these critters cuddling with the donated fur, Cuddle Coats hopes to persuade folks to not buy fur items in the first place.
Alexandra echoes this critical concept. "Not only does Cuddle Coats provide comfort and warmth to injured or orphaned wildlife, helping them to survive, it also helps to partially make up for the brutal horrors of the fur industry."
Want to help this incredible organization? Just drop off your old furs at one of their main or affiliate locations.
You can also donate monetarily in order to help them with the pricey processing and shipping fees involved in sending heavy furs to animal rehab centers across the nation.
Cuddle Coats doesn't just help animals in need; it also helps soothe the hearts of former fur-wearers.
One contributor notes, "I decided to turn in my fur coat to Cuddle Coats because after I found out about the hideous cruelty to the small fur-bearers, I didn't want to be part of such cruelty anymore. I don't need a fur coat, but the animals need theirs to live."
Those critters couldn't agree more.
Check out Cuddle Coats and learn how you can make a difference today.
Do you think Cuddle Coats is an effective way of helping animals? Let us know in the comments.
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