Local teens make birthday into a gift for Harvest Hills

When Naomi Ela turned 13 on Nov. 9, she and her mom agreed that instead of getting gifts from her friends attending her party, she asked them to bring items for the cats and dogs at Harvest Hills Animal Shelter in Fryeburgand what a pleasant surprise it was for the staff at Harvest Hills when a Hummer limousine backed into the parking lot and 12 teens bearing everything from dog food to kitty litter jumped out.Naomi and her friends were just one group of youngsters eager to help out the animals at Harvest Hills. In the recent past, other children have done the same thing by opting for items for the animals versus gifts for themselves. As well, there have been lemonade stands to raise money for the shelter and even a baby shower put on by a nice family who had recently got a new dog and decided to have a party to introduce their new addition and asked all those invited to bring in items that Harvest Hills could use.The staff at Harvest Hills would like to thank all the young people who have been so creative and generous in order to help out the cats and dogs waiting to find their forever homes. Volunteers and donations are what make Harvest Hills able to care for the over 1,000 dogs and cats that arrive there a year.