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Putting her money where her heart is
Instead of receiving gifts on her birthday, 7-year-old Sara Hale decided to do the giving.
With a passion for animals, Sara, a rising first grader at Wakefield Country Day School, asked her friends and family to bring a donation for Animals Need Assistance (ANA) to the party held in honor of her May 29 birthday.
The daughter of Mark and Michelle Hale, Sara was exposed to the idea of providing for a charity in lieu of receiving birthday gifts through her classmates.
“She has more than enough toys. I asked her if she wanted to collect toys for kids who are less fortunate. She said, ‘Let’s give to the kitties and doggies,’” Michelle Hale recalled, noting that Sara was familiar with ANA through the Web site she had recently created for the non-profit.
“Sara's generosity and selflessness was inspirational as well as sincerely appreciated,” said Kathleen Murray, founder of the Flint Hill-based charity. “The donation was put to immediate good use for a cat that had been abandoned. The cat has been spayed and is looking for a home of her own.”
Incorporated in June 2007, ANA’s mission includes decreasing the feral cat population through a trap, sterilize, release program, as well as providing a safe haven, medical care, and an opportunity for adoption for homeless pets, according to Murray. The agency also strives to provide assistance to economically underprivileged people in need of medical care for their pets. To date, ANA has had 15 cats and one dog sterilized; placed eight kittens, and taken in 15 cats and 1 dog, Murray said.
“Sara is obsessed with animals,” Michelle Hale said. “Anytime we go anywhere and see someone with a dog, Sara has to go up and greet the dog. I honestly believe she’ll be a vet. It’s one of those things you feel in your heart. She’s just destined to be a vet.”
Sara lives near Orlean with her parents, her sister, Julia, 14, two guinea pigs and two dogs.
For more information on ANA, visit www.animalsneedassistance.org .
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