Animals & Shelters
History & Founders
How It Works
Donation Items
Places & Facts
100

 What do we call the places where animals without homes are cared for?

Animal shelters.

100

In what year did Operation Santa Paws start?

2001

100

 During which dates each year does Operation Santa Paws run?

December 1–24 every year

100

Name one food or supply that animal shelters need.

Pet food

100

Operation Santa Paws started in Long Beach, which is in what state?

California.

200

Name two types of animals, other than cats and dogs, that can be found in shelters.

 Rabbits and hamsters (also acceptable: ferrets, guinea pigs)

200

Who started Operation Santa Paws?

Justin Rudd

200

 What do volunteers ask people to donate? Name one item type.

New pet toys (also: pet food, collars, blankets, cleaning supplies).

200

Name one type of toy mentioned that each animal could get during Operation Santa Paws

A new pet toy.

200

 Long Beach is on the coast of which ocean?

The Pacific Ocean.

300

Why do animals in shelters need homes? Give one reason

Because they do not have homes and need families to adopt them

300

In which city did Operation Santa Paws begin?

 Long Beach, California

300

After donations are collected, what do volunteers do with the items?

They deliver the items to animal shelters

300

Besides toys, list two other kinds of donations volunteers request

 Blankets and pet collars (also acceptable: cleaning supplies, pet food)

300

Name one place or attraction in Long Beach mentioned in the text

The Aquarium of the Pacific (also acceptable: beaches, shops, museums).

400

About how many animal shelters are there across the U.S. (choose the best answer from the article)?

More than 4,000

400

The first animal shelter in the U.S. started in what year and in which city?

1869 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

400

Why do shelters need items like blankets, collars, and cleaning supplies? Give two reasons

To keep animals warm and comfortable, and to help keep them clean and healthy.

400

Explain why new pet toys are important for animals in shelters (use a complete sentence).

 New pet toys give animals mental stimulation, reduce stress, and help them feel loved

400

When the text says “cities across the U.S. participate,” what does that mean? Explain in one sentence.

It means many different cities around the country have volunteers who collect and deliver donations for Operation Santa Paws.


500

 Explain one task that people at animal shelters do to help animals. Use a full sentence

 People feed and care for the animals and try to find them new homes

500

Describe one reason Justin Rudd started Operation Santa Paws (use a full sentence)

 He wanted to help animals in shelters during the holiday season by giving them gifts and supplies.

500

 Describe the steps (in order) Operation Santa Paws uses to help animals, using 3–5 short sentences.

Volunteers ask people to donate new toys and supplies. People donate the items. Volunteers collect and deliver the donations to animal shelters. The animals receive toys and needed supplies during the holiday season.

500

Create a short persuasive sentence students could use to ask neighbors to donate items to Operation Santa Paws.

“Please donate a new pet toy or blanket to help shelter animals have a happy holiday!”

500

The first animal shelter began in Philadelphia. Explain one way animal shelters today are similar to that first shelter and one way they are different (two short sentences)

Similar: Both provide care and shelter for animals without homes. Different: Today there are thousands of shelters with organized volunteer programs and donation drives like Operation Santa Paws