FERGUS – Unlike many girls her age, Lily Belonzo wasn’t looking for gifts to celebrate her ninth birthday.
Instead she raised $1,200 by asking for donations in lieu of birthday gifts to rescue and find homes for cats.
Audrey Peacock of Arthur, operates Arthur Animal Rescue and she explained that people help to foster cats until they find permanent homes.
In addition, she said there are numerous people who donate and help raise funds to rescue and find homes for up to 300 cats per year.
Through her Facebook page, Peacock had reached out on numerous occasions for help, both for donations and seeking people to foster the cats until they can be adopted.
“The community has been wonderful to help, it is not a thing that could be done by one person alone to such an extent,” Peacock said.
“There have been several people from Fergus who have been wonderful to help out.”
Yet, there are a few extra special individuals who go the extra mile and Peacock includes Belonzo among them.
“Across the street from Lyndsay Berry, one of the foster families, lives Lily and her family,” Peacock said.
“Lily wanted to help out with the cats and kittens.”
Peacock’s understanding was that someone in Belonzo’s family was very allergic, therefore they could not have cats of their own.
When Belonzo’s mother asked what she wanted for her birthday, “Lily wanted to raise money to help the rescue cats,” Peacock explained, adding “Lily Belonzo … recently had her ninth birthday and did a birthday fund raiser.
“Obviously this little girl is not only a wonderful animal activist but she must be very well liked by her human friends as well.”
Belonzo and her mother set up a Go Fund Me page and family and friends donated.
Peacock believed it only fitting the community recognize Belonzo’s incredible thoughtful act.
Though the pair have yet to meet, Peacock said she wants to meet with Belonzo to thank her for her generosity.
She added lots and lots of adults have been very gracious in donations and time.
On Lily’s birthday fundraiser page, her mom writes Lily had asked if she could have a cat rescue fundraiser for her birthday instead of gifts.
“After I finished sobbing like a lunatic, I asked her why, and she said because she loves the kitties and wants them to have more stuff,” she wrote.
In addition to the gofundme page, Lily also sold baked goods, toys, and lemonade at the Holman Crescent Fergus street sale in May to raise money for the Arthur Animal Rescue.
