DEVOTION

OPERATION BLANKETS OF LOVE

Saving lives by providing comfort to homeless animals in shelters, rescue groups, fosters, and sanctuaries, making the pets more adoptable

By hard work and dedication, Eileen Smulson, Founder and President of Operation Blankets of Love (OBOL), transformed a small, local project into a nationally known, award-winning response team and advocacy organization. “My inspiration is my first pet, Ginger who was found on a desert highway as a puppy....I never wanted a homeless animal to suffer like Ginger again.” One day, Eileen noticed a sign at an animal shelter asking for blanket donations. She knew she had to do something. She put her years of fundraising experience into action, and she was able to collect and donate about 400 comfort items. The shelter staff was overjoyed! She soon received requests from other shelters and rescues. As a result, Operation Blankets of Love began.

“Our goal is to give the stray, sick, abandoned, and neglected homeless animals a second chance by supplying what they need to make them more comfortable and more adoptable.” Eileen states that giving shelter animals blankets and pet beds allows them to relax in their new surroundings. Because the blankets reduce their stress, the animals appear friendlier. “This allows potential adopters to more easily see the animals as part of their homes and lives.” OBOL collected and distributed more than 400,000 comfort items since its inception. This equals more than one million dollars in supplies. Eileen estimates that by providing hundreds of items to 1500 or more homeless animals a month, the adoption rate in animal shelters and rescue groups has increased, consequently saving lives and lowering the rate of euthanasia.

“OBOL is busy growing so that we can help even more homeless animals,” says Eileen. Because they are devoted to spreading inspiration to others and being a voice for homeless animals, OBOL created humane education programs for grades K-12 and regularly presents public awareness campaigns. In a short period of time, they have inspired hundreds of people across the country, educating them about shelter needs, spaying, and neutering, and about how to conduct OBOL Supply Drives so they may help their local shelters. Besides that, OBOL provides items and assists in the transport of the 200 homeless animals to new homes per month. The group coordinates free pet-adoption events with local shelters, rescue groups, and animal-loving individuals. OBOL is also a networking hotline that assists callers with information on where to take found animals and how to adopt a homeless pet. And the group assists rescue groups in emergency situations by transporting animals and providing items like blankets, towels, medicine, and food to dogs who were the victims of hoarders, dogfighting rings, and other sad situations. The list goes on and on!

“We help save the lives of homeless animals in many unique ways.” Eileen calculates that OBOL reaches one thousand or more homeless animals a month. “We even help rescue groups that save the lives of rabbits, pot bellied pigs, horse and farm animals of all kinds.”

Animal Planet’s show Pit Boss recently featured OBOL, which resulted in a flood of donation requests from across the country. In less than two years, OBOL has expanded to cover the greater Los Angeles area and more than twelve counties within California, comprising of more than 500 cities. To continue their vital work, they need financial donations from individuals and from the corporate world.

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