Peabody 7-Year-Old's Birthday Drive To Help Animals In Shelter

PEABODY, MA — Avery Ataide did not just want to adopt an animal in need of a home for her 7th birthday.

She wanted to adopt "all of them."

Informed that might not exactly be in the cards for the Peabody family, the South Elementary School first-grader decided that if she couldn't have all the animals for herself she wanted to help them any way she could. So, for her 7th birthday, instead of asking for toys and clothes like most girls her age, she asked for donations for local animals waiting for their forever homes.

"We've always talked to her about donating to and helping those less fortunate, not just animals but everybody," Erin Ataide, Avery's mother, told Patch. "After watching one of those (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) commercials with the Sarah McLachlan ("Angel") song, she asked how she could help the animals.

"She first said she wanted to adopt them all. We explained that really wasn't an option, but we told her the animals in the shelters do need a lot of things while they are waiting to be adopted and she came up with the birthday idea all on her own."

Her mother said Avery recorded a video asking for the donations that was distributed to friends and family. Over the course of her birthday month, Avery's requests have turned into $900 in monetary donations and dozens of blankets, towels, dog treats and pet toys that the family intends to deliver to the Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem.

"I think it's fantastic to have so many people supporting a 7-year-old who is this young and wanting to do something like this," her mother said. "What an unbelievable lesson for this year. It's a learning lesson for us as adults how can we help anyone or anything."

Her mother said that while she thinks a lot of the monetary donations have come in because of the coronavirus health crisis, some of the household item donations like the blankets and towels are unused things from around homes that don't carry any additional cost but are much needed in the shelters.

The Ataides have a spare bedroom downstairs that Erin Ataide said is filled with dog food, blankets, leashes and "so many towels and blankets." She added that someone even dropped off a doggy gate at their house.

"(Avery) is just so excited that all of these people want to help her help the animals," her mother said.

Her mother said Avery intends to arrange with the Northeast Animal Shelter to make one big donation at the start of February and then continue to make donations as long as people keep giving them.

Those wishing to add to Avery's animal supply drive can email her mother at erin.ataide@aol.com.

"Yes, this mission for the shelter is about helping animals but really it's about just helping," Erin Ataide said. "Helping anyone and anything that needs it. Offering it in whatever way we're able to because, at some point, we all have needed help a time or two ourselves.

"A 7-year-old's capacity to understand this has translated into helping animals or children. She's helping the best way she's able to."

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)