Pair's Facebook auctions of pet items benefit local, international animal shelters

Two animal-loving friends have gone above and beyond in raising money to help local and international animal shelters.

Lindsey Perriello, a Lower Burrell native who works a full-time job while also running her own pet care and dog-walking service, and retired Plum resident Kim Tamburri have raised about $13,000 through a venture that began when Perriello was cleaning out a closet at home.

Tamburri said the closet contained items intended for donation to a local animal shelter. The women, however, began to consider creating their own platform for donating pet supplies.

“It was a little side project we didn’t expect,” Perriello said.

In the past year and a half, Tamburri said, she and Perriello have held seven fundraising auctions on Facebook. Proceeds have grown from $395 in the first auction to $3,346 in the most recent one.

To begin their fundraising efforts, Perriello and Tamburri created a private Facebook group called Auctions for Animals. Tamburri said the group is kept private to keep the auctions localized and to avoid shipping and handling costs.

About a month before each auction, Perriello and Tamburri post a request for donations of new or gently used pet-friendly items. Once donated items have been approved, they are delivered to Perriello or Tamburri.

The auctions are conducted on the Auctions for Animals site, with each item having its own post. The comment section for each item serves as the bidding platform.

Bids start at $1, and group members can purchase anything from brand-new dog toys to paintings contributed by furry friends.

“People donate the craziest things,” Perriello said. “There’s a buyer for everyone.”

After about seven days of bidding, the comment sections are disabled to signal the auction has closed.

After the auction, Tamburri and Perriello inform the highest bidders that their items are available for in-person pickup, and payments are made with PayPal, Venmo or cash.

Once the auction items have been distributed, Perriello and Tamburri tally the revenue total and split the money between two shelters.

Half of the proceeds are sent to Heather Arthurs, a friend of Tamburri, who owns the Beach Dog Rescue of Costa Maya Mexico. The remaining half is donated to a rescue organization or shelter selected through a poll of the Facebook group’s members.

Arthurs’ organization works with stray animals in Mexico, as well as with pet owners who want to spay or neuter their dogs but cannot afford to.

Arthurs explained that spaying and neutering strays is the only way to prevent generations of homeless animals who are exposed to malnutrition, starvation, disease and violence.

“The only way we’re going to solve the problem of homelessness is spay and neuter,” Arthurs said. “It’s nice to adopt, but that’s not the way to solve the problem.”

Since its establishment in 2016, the Beach Dog Rescue of Costa Maya Mexico has spayed or neutered nearly 4,600 dogs.

The auction’s proceeds also have helped a number of local animal shelters, including Animal Protectors, Frankie’s Friends and Tiny Cause.

“We’ve made so many cool friends,” Perriello said. “We only meant to do it once, but it seems like everybody has a lot of fun with it, and it’s just a fun way to help the local animal rescues and shelters.”

Several local businesses have donated to the auctions, including Stanford’s, Lenape Golf Course and Bark & Gold Photography.

“Kim and I have met many of the local people that have joined our group. We’ve become friends,” Perriello said. “What started out as a part-time hobby has really taken off, but we’d still like more people to join.”

To participate in the auctions, search for the Auctions for Animals page on Facebook and request to join the group.