Palm Springs Animal Shelter in ‘dire need’ of towels, blankets
Kendall Flynn
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The Palm Springs Animal Shelter is reaching out to the community for help as it posted on social media that it’s in “dire need” of towels, blankets, and sheets for the animals.
“We’re constantly changing them out so that our pets are safe and comfortable and soothed,” Associate Director Jack Hagerman said.
A broken washing machine is causing a crisis for the shelter, as it’s cutting their resources in half. The shelter has two washers and two dryers, allowing them to do 26 to 30 loads per day. With limited resources now, their laundry has piled up.
“Fresh bedding is a really important part of their stay here,” Hagerman said. “So when one of our washers goes down, it makes that process a little bit more challenging.”
Their biggest concern is pet comfort and preventing the spread of disease. If soiled linens sit in the washing queue for too long, they’re no longer safe to use and must be discarded.
“We have a lot of laundry here and it doesn’t stop,” Foster Coordinator Rosemary Ramsay said. “And we do need to have clean, sanitary environments for our pets. The hallway is backed up, and the longer it does stay, if we can’t do it all us we do, unfortunately, have to throw it away.”
Blankets, towels, and flat sheets are essential for animals in shelters as they are a source of warmth but also stress relief as they wait for a home. They use hundreds of blankets every day, as some pets use between one and five linens in their home.
“It creates a better environment for them,” Ramsay said. “It helps them feel comfortable. We don’t want them to be sleeping on concrete.”
The Palm Springs Animal Shelter is asking locals to donate towels, flat sheets, and blankets to the shelter. During hours, they can be brought inside or left by the donation bins at the front of the building.
Hagerman said there is no clear timeline on the washing machine repairs, as the industrial parts have to be ordered. They are hoping for a quick recovery and ask for clean linens to help them in the meantime.
Watch News Channel 3 starting at 4 PM to learn about the need and what the shelter is requesting from the community.