Every year around the holidays, volunteers from Germany’s Cologne-Dellbrück Animal Shelter host a fundraising event, selling donated goods to support their lifesaving work.
The initiative is spearheaded by the shelter’s mascot, a dog named Lupo.
“[Lupo] requested goodies to sell at the market,” shelter spokesperson Sylvia told The Dodo. “Items we can sell to make money for animals.”
This year, as donations began to trickle in, one in particular stood out from the rest.
It arrived to the shelter’s door in a cardboard box.
Opening the box, shelter staff found it contained a number of lovingly handmade gifts.
But there was also a photo and a note.
“Hi Lupo, I’m Robby,” the note read. “Unfortunately, I’ve already crossed the rainbow bridge. But I am forever in my mom’s heart … For your fundraiser, I’m sending you a small package with homemade things.”
“These are things my grandma made,” the note continued. “My grandma will be 91 in November, and she enjoys crafts.”
“I hope you will have a great fundraiser and raise money so you can continue to get your [treats], and your buddies can be well taken care of,” the note concluded. “Love, Robby in heaven.”
Shelter staff had never met Robby and do not know his family. It was a gift of love given by complete strangers on behalf of their beloved pup who passed away.
“[When] this very special package arrived, it almost made us cry,” Sylvia said. “It was so sweet.”
Sylvia hopes that in sharing this act of kindness and charity, it might inspire others to do the same for animal shelter and rescue organizations in their own communities.
Fortunately, there are many ways to help.
