Local animal shelters and rescue, rehab and fostering organizations depend on donations of food and supplies to help provide support to the many animals rescued or treated each year.

Priority requests by all or most of the organizations, now and year-round, include:

• Gift cards to chain stores, specifically PetSmart, PETCO, Giant Eagle, Shop 'n Save and Wal-Mart.

• Toys, toys and more toys.

• Pre-paid gas cards.

• Books of stamps.

• Paper towels, plus bleach, disinfectants, other cleaning agents.

• Food. No opened bags or cans will be accepted.

• Angel Ridge Animal Rescue, 390 Old Hickory Ridge Road, Chartiers PA 15301; 724-229-7053; www.angelridgeanimalrescue.org. Box 94, Meadowlands, PA 15347.

Urgent need: Dry dog food.

General ongoing needs: Liquid laundry detergent; garbage bags; rock salt; leashes; Kuranda raised dog beds; dog houses and crates; mops and brooms; letter and legal paper; envelopes; ink for Lexmark X5470 photocopier; large light-weight folding tables or card tables; golf carts or all-terrain vehicles to help staff get around the 51-acre farm.

• Animal Friends, 562 Camp Horne Road, Pittsburgh (Ohio Township), PA 15237; 412-847-7000; www.thinkingoutsidethecage.org.

Urgent: Pet food for the Chow Wagon pantry; Timothy-based rabbit pellets.

Ongoing: Dry kitten food and canned pet food; rat, mice, bird and reptile food; walkie-talkies; new washcloths, clean towels and small blankets; a video camera; American-made rawhides; small cat litter pans; cotton balls and swabs.

• Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania, 6620 Hamilton Ave., Pittsburgh (East Liberty), PA 15206; www.animalrescue.org; 412-661-6452.

Urgent: Safe Paw Ice Melter; blankets; pet food; KONG toys; leashes and harnesses.

Ongoing: Hand-knitted or store-bought dog sweaters (extra large sizes); a mini-refrigerator; grooming table; treadmills to exercise dogs indoors; high velocity hair dryers.

• Animal Rescue League Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, 6000 Verona Road, Verona, PA 15147; www.animalrescue.org; 412-793-6900.

Ongoing: Unscented Dawn dish soap; dog, kitten and rabbit food; rolled oats; poultry feed; freeze-dried meal worms; baby food (mixed and garden veggies); canned cream corn, carrots, green beans, pears, peas and mixed fruit; wild bird seed; latex gloves; garbage bags (30 and 55 gallon); Pedialyte.

• Beaver County Humane Society, Humane Society Street, adjacent to Beaver Valley Mall parking lot, Monaca, PA 15061; 724-775-5801; www.beavercounty.com/humanesociety. Mail: Box 63, Route 18, Monaca, PA 15061.

Ongoing: Iams, Purina ONE or Purina Pro-Plan dry pet food; gift cards to Lowe's; copy paper; bath towels; liquid laundry detergent.

• Butler County Humane Society, 1015 Evans City Road, Renfrew, PA 16053; 724-789-1150; www.bchs.petfinder.org.

Urgent: Dry and canned pet food; clay, nonclumping cat litter.

Ongoing: Kuranda beds; blankets and sheets; rawhide chews; dog shampoo; trash bags (32 gallon or larger); used plastic grocery bags; empty spray bottles; postage scale.

• Humane Society of Westmoreland County, Route 119 North (behind Lynch Field), Greensburg, PA 15601; 724-837-3779; www.hswcgbg.petfinder.com.

Urgent: Hewlett-Packard Ink Jet Cartridges 94, 95; stamps.

Ongoing: Gift cards for Office Max; garbage bags, laundry detergent; stainless steel large dog bowls; cat carriers and bedding; cat litter; dog kennel heaters. No food needed.

• Washington Area Humane Society, 1527 Route 136, Eighty Four, PA 15330; 724-229-0404; www.washingtonpashelter.org. Mail: Box 66, Eighty Four, PA 15330.

Urgent: Dry cat food.

Ongoing: Nutro, Natural Balance and Purina food brands for all ages of dogs and cats; kitten milk replacement (KMR) formula; all-meat pet treats; chicken or turkey baby food; unscented baby wipes; bales of straw (not hay); small throw rugs without rubber backing; large towels; vaporizers (for sick kittens); heating pads; clay cat litter; a photocopier; washing machines and electric dryers.

• Western Pennsylvania Humane Society, www.wpahumane.org.

-- North Shore Shelter, 1101 Western Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15233; 412-321-4625.

-- Fallen Timber Shelter, 1680 Fallen Timber Road, Elizabeth Township, PA 15037; 412-751-2010.

Urgent: Canned pet food.

Ongoing: Rabbit, ferret and bird food; pet treats; grooming aides such as pet shampoo; new 10-inch or larger nylon collars, and 6-foot leashes; stuffed animals; paper bags; large balls; scratching posts; bandanas; 15-by-15-inch crocheted blankets for cat cages; Timothy hay; stainless steel feeding bowls; cat carriers, dog crates and beds; digital cameras; antibacterial liquid hand soap.

• Animal Advocates Inc., Box 8480, Pittsburgh, PA 15220; 412-928-9777; www.animaladvocatespgh. petfinder.org.

Ongoing: Dry and canned pet food; milk replacers such as Esbilac for puppies and KMR for kittens; scoopable cat litter; topical flea and tick treatment products; 10-power compound microscope; 3-in-1 printer/copier/fax machine. Also, donations of housewares, jewelry and other items are needed for the Animal Advocates Thrift Shoppe, 35 Wabash Ave., West End; 412-928-9837.

• FosterCat Inc., Box 23414, Pittsburgh, PA 15222; 412-481-9144; www.fostercat.org.

Ongoing: Veterinary office gift certificates for cat care and medicine; dry and wet cat food; cat litter. Donation drop-offs are individually arranged.

• Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley, 533 Linden Ave., New Kensington, PA 15068; 724-339-7388; www.animalprotectors.net.

Urgent: Purina cat and kitten chow, and Purina and Pro Plan dry dog food. Ongoing: Safe Paw Ice Melter; 9 Lives canned cat food (chicken dinner, turkey & giblets); laundry detergent; garbage bags; air cleaning machine for cat room; cat litter.

• Doberman Rescue Inc.; 724-251-9024; www.dobermanrescueinc.com; donation drop-off location provided by home-based volunteers upon contact.

Ongoing: Canned and dry dog food, large and extra large dog beds, including Patented Kuranda beds; new or clean used blankets.

• Going Home Greyhounds Inc., P.O. Box 513, Wexford PA 15090; 724-935-6298; www.goinghomegreyhounds.org.

Ongoing: Crate pads; martingale collars (needed for thin necks) and leashes; mailing envelopes; pre-paid copy cards.

• Hide-E-Hole Ferret Rescue, c/o 145 Margaret St., Pittsburgh (Mount Oliver) PA 15210-2236; 412-481-5927, press 1; www.ferret-hide-e-hole.org.

Ongoing: Visit Web site for specialized food needs; syringes with needles of various sizes; Clorox disinfectant wipes; pelleted litter; belled balls; Cheweasels or In-Bones chew toys; Petco ping pong balls; jars of turkey or chicken baby food.

• Pittsburgh Parrot Rescue, P.O. 97191, Pittsburgh PA 15229; 412-761-2268; www.pittsburghparrotrescue.org. (Helps all types of pet birds.)

Ongoing: Bird food (Roudybush pellets, Zupreem pellets, Lafebre Nutriberries); blankets; sheets to cover cages; bird toys of all sizes; no bird cages, just cage perches and accessories.

• Pet Friends Inc., P.O. Box 484, Irwin PA (Westmoreland County) 15642; 724-863-7722; www.pet-friendsinc.com.

Ongoing: Cat and kitten food; dog collars, leashes; grooming supplies: folding chairs and card tables; cat litter, litter pans; 24" or 36" kennel cages; pillow cases; small rubber-backed rugs.

• Rainbow Animal Refuge, P.O. Box 145, Lyndora (Butler County) PA 16045; 724-287-8334; www.rainbowanimalrefuge.org.

Urgent: dry cat food and cat litter.

Ongoing: Pet crates and carriers; collars and leashes; pet beds; food dishes; flea shampoo. To donate items, call the shelter or drop them off at Butler Veterinary Associates, Route 8 North, Butler PA 16001 (marked for "Rainbow"). Flea market items can be donated directly to the year-round Rainbow table at Clearview Flea Market on Route 8, Butler.

• White Oak Animal Safe Haven, 2295 Lincoln Way, White Oak PA 15131; 412-672-8901; www.woanimalshelter.petfinder.org.

Urgent: cat litter, and cat and kitten food

Ongoing: Any type of dog and puppy food; KMR for newborn kittens; Advantage Flea Treatment; Milk Bone snacks; Hewlett-Packard Inkjet Cartridges 92 Black and 93 Color; copy paper and other office supplies.

• Wildbird Recovery, 120 Forsythe Road, Valencia PA (Butler County) 16059; 724-898-1788; stormpages.com/wildbird.

Ongoing: Hulled sunflower seed; quality mixed bird seed; unshelled, unsalted peanuts; large thick bath towels; copy paper; gift certificates to Agway and Lowes; gift certificates to TheNaturesWay.com for mealworms, or to RodentPro.com for raptor food; ink cartridges for Hewlett-Packard Officejet 7310; Clorox sanitizing wipes.