How Annie'sBlankets Warms Lost Pets in Prunedale, Calif.

An gift of kindness to a dying pet was the inspiration for a Prunedale, Calif., nonprofit organization that gathers towels and blankets for animal shelters and veterinary clinics.

The spark that led to Annie'sBlankets came in 2005, when founder Edie Achterman's dog, Phoebe, was in her final days. The elderly Lab mix spent her final days at a sympathetic veterinarian's office so she could be closely monitored.

One of the things that struck Achterman on one visit to see her dog was that someone had placed a pink crocheted afghan on the floor for Phoebe to lie on.

"It really struck me how that made her happy," said Achterman. "I'll never forget that."

It was such a little bit of comfort, yet it stuck in Achterman's mind after her beloved dog passed away. It was the seed that would grow into Achterman's nonprofit organization, Annie'sBlankets, based in a small rural community just north of Salinas, Calif.

In just its first year, Annie'sBlankets has gathered more than 5,000 towels and blankets and distributed them to 30 animal shelters and veterinary clinics in five adjacent counties. The nonprofit started in February 2006.

Shelters and vets use the blankets to line kennels and the towels for myriad uses - but mainly to comfort and warm the animals they care for, who are often disoriented and frightened by their strange surroundings.

Having a steady supply of bedding has been important, especially for shelters.

"We go through a lot of towels and blankets," said Rayne Coleman, animal services office assistant for the City of Salinas Animal Shelter. "When (Annie'sBlankets) brings them, they're always tied up like a present."

Coleman notes that they line their cat cages with the towels and blankets, and have to change them every day.

"It gives them extra warmth, and a homey touch," she said.

Prior to Annie'sBlankets, the Salinas shelter received occasional donations of these items from the public, but there was no regularity or assurance of usable items.

"The blankets and towels we get from Annie'sBlankets are always clean and in nice condition, and they're very reliable," said Coleman.