In observance of National Pet Month, which celebrates our furry friends throughout May, AAA Central Penn branches are collecting pet supply donations for local animal shelters.
The entire month of May, all ten AAA Central Penn branches are collecting top-needed pet supplies including: dog chews and chew toys; kitten milk replacer; kitten food (canned and dry); cat litter; and cat treats. Other items needed include paper towels and kitchen drawstring trash bags. Specific items are listed on AAA’s website. Community members who donate will receive a thank you gift from AAA Pet Insurance.
AAA Central Penn’s 10 branches are in nine Central Pennsylvania counties including Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mifflin and Perry counties.
Additionally, for every new member who joins AAA Central Penn in May, the auto club is donating $2 to a local animal shelter. Participating shelters include Adams County SPCA, Cocoa Kitties in Hershey, Humane Society of Harrisburg, Humane Society of Lebanon, Huntingdon County Humane Society, Perry County Animal Rescue, Pet Pantry of Lancaster County, SPCA of Lancaster Center, and Speranza Animal Rescue in Mechanicsburg.
AAA Central Penn also invites the community to join with AAA Cares employee volunteers to lend local animal shelters a hand. Volunteer events are planned with Huntingdon County Humane Society for Wednesday, May 14, Perry County Animal Rescue in Millerstown for Friday, May 15 and Speranza Animal Rescue Mechanicsburg for Sunday, May 18. More information on these volunteer events is available on AAA Central Penn’s website.
According to a review of pet ownership statistics on Forbes.com, pet ownership in the U.S. has jumped significantly over the past three decades.
- As of 2024, 66% of U.S. households (86.9 million homes) own a pet, up from 56% in 1988.
- Ninety-seven percent of pet owners consider their pets to be a part of their family.
- The largest percentage of pet owners are millennials (33%), followed by Gen X (25%) and baby boomers (24%).
- Forty-two percent of dog owners and 43% of cat owners got their pets from a store, while 38% of dog owners and 40% of cat owners got their pets from an animal shelter or rescue.
