This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Capital One. All opinions are 100% mine.
Capital One wants to make the holidays a little brighter this holiday season by helping to share and grant wishes for others. During the holidays, we often ask our kids “what is on your wish list?” We even ask our friends and family “what do YOU want?” Yet we all know that the true joy of the holidays comes from spreading happiness to others.
This year, you have a chance of seeing that wish for others come true! How? Simply share your wish using the hashtag #WishForOthers on Twitter, Instagram or the Capital One Facebook page from November 24th through December 23rd. Not sure what to submit? Check out the video on the Wish For Others site for inspiration!
Jacob’s #WishForOthers: A Home for the Animals
Every night before bed, I tell Jacob a “true story.” Sometimes it’s something from my childhood, sometimes from his own earlier years. One night, I told him the story of how we came to have Cooper, our mystery pup and Jacob’s favorite dog. Cooper was a rescue. He was six-months-old when we got him. He spent those first six months in a tiny cage with ten other dogs, grabbing whatever food scraps he could get. The organization we got him from rescued him from a kill shelter a few states away. Despite his rough start to life, Cooper is a sweet and gentle boy. He’s a food hound and will steal any scrap that isn’t nailed down (or put very high up), but he’s a sweet dog.
Jacob’s realization that not every animal is as lucky as Cooper really dawned this year when he saw feral kittens on our front porch begging for food. We have a large population of them in our development. When we moved in, we realized our elderly neighbor was doing her best to care for all of them on her own.
Together, we try to catch as many as possible so she can take them to a friend with a warm barn. Anyone who lives near feral cats knows that catching them is NOT an easy feat! During the summer, the kitties seem to do well on their own, hunting and foraging. In the winter, I put food out for them. Kittens were born late this year. Last year, we lost so many to the cold weather.
Jacob never really noticed them until the kittens came right up to our front door and meowed at us as we walked out to go to the bus stop. Now, all he wants is to give every homeless animal in the world a warm home for the holidays.
He was a little nervous when he made his video, but I think he got his message across. We know it’s a pretty tall order: a home for every homeless animal. Honestly, we’d be thrilled to see even one homeless animal get a “fur-ever” home this holiday season. We’d also really love to find a way to help those kittens outside. Sadly, we have three cats of our own indoors and can’t take on anymore. Jacob and I are making this wish for the animals because they need a voice too. Every living creature deserves to feel safe, warm and loved. Not just during the holidays, but every day.
What is your #WishForOthers? I’d love to hear about it! Share it on Twitter, Instagram or the Capital One Facebook page, then come back and tell me about it!
I love to see children being brought up to be compassionate and care about animals. There are way too many animals without safe homes and it makes me sad to see stray cats outside also. I am so glad there are kind people who do try to help them.
My favorite pets as a kid and as an adult were – affectionately – “pound pups,” “mutts,” abandoned. I had one dog with a fancy pedigree that wasn’t as well behaved as the others. It is good for the kids, too, to nurture a little creature to flourishing health and watch their personality take shape.