The holiday spirit is bringing warmth to animals in Canyon County that might otherwise be shivering in the cold.
Once the word got out on social media this week that the boiler stopped working at the West Valley Humane Society, donations from individuals and businesses wanting to simply do the right thing came pouring in.
It started with donations in the form of dog sweaters and extra blankets with a huge boost for the pups' paws Tuesday night. Heaters and propane tanks were brought in thanks to the folks at Valley Wide Cooperative.
"We had to purchase some of those heaters, as well as sending guys from other locations in the Magic Valley to bring them to us, to meet us and get it installed," said George Barron, director of human resources at Valley Wide Cooperative. "So, it was a true team effort."
Now the dog kennels are toasty warm and the coop has plans to fill the propane tanks on a weekly basis until the new boiler arrives, which is expected during the first part of the new year.
However, the generosity didn't stop there.
By mid-afternoon on Wednesday, a Zamzows truck arrived with over 90 beds for the dogs.
"We heard about the boiler going out. So, the dog floors were not being heated. It's getting pretty cold out there," said Jim Zamzow, one of the owners of Zamzows Inc. "I liked the idea, the thought of those dogs having nice, warm beds to be in."
Of course, there is one more way people can help keep the dogs warm.
"They're all amazing dogs, a lot of them are actually house trained," said Angela Taylor, spokeswoman for the West Valley Humane Society. "So, they're just super sweet, great temperaments and they would love forever homes... to go home for Christmas."
