A House Springs animal sanctuary is raising money to help animals in need get the care they deserve.
For the seventh year in a row, Open Door Animal Sanctuary, 6065 Duda Road, is participating in the Shelter Slumber Pawty, a 24-hour event beginning April 18 in which animal shelters from around the world raise money and awareness for animal welfare.
During the 24 hours, participants will spend the night with cats, dogs and other animals; 140 shelters across 39 states will participate this year, organizers said.
Open Door Animal Sanctuary, which was founded in 1975, is one of the largest no-kill animal shelters in the area.
“Because we’re a no-kill shelter, some of the animals in our care are with us long-term and may go months or years without getting to spend the night next to a human being,” said Jeanette Curtin, social media coordinator for Open Door.
She said each Slumber Pawty participant has a fundraising goal of $1,000.
“We’re hoping to raise a total of $15,000 this year, which is enough to get approximately 100 dogs or cats the routine veterinary care that they need to prepare them for adoption,” she said. “Our team this year consists of staff members, regular volunteers and several people who are new to the shelter.”
Curtin added people can donate to the overall team pot or choose an individual fundraiser to support.
Those older than 13 can participate with a guardian; those 16 and older can sign up without a guardian.
Background
Jamie Case and Laura Nelson co-founded the event in 2017 as the St. Louis Area Shelter Slumber Pawty while running the Gateway Pet Guardians in East St. Louis, Ill.
“We had a dog there at our shelter that had been there for a long time…and we needed funding for veterinary care, and Laura said, ‘How about I stay (in the dog’s kennel) and raise money while I’m in there until she’s adopted,’ and I was like, ‘That’s a great idea. What if we go ahead and put someone in every kennel and raise money and have a slumber party,’” Case said.
In 2023, Case said the fundraiser went international with four shelters from other countries participating.
Last year’s event raised more than $1 million across all participating shelters, Case said.
Case also said an animal shelter from South Africa and 15 organizations from the St. Louis area are among the 140 shelters participating this year.
Case said the event is always a morale booster for shelter staff and also allows shelter animals to have a dedicated advocate.
“They have someone really dedicated to trying to get not just donations but advocating to get that animal out of the shelter whether it’s into a foster home or an adoptive home,” she said. “They really get to understand and feel what the animal feels which is life changing for the human.”
Curtin said the event is a lot of fun for humans, but the animals also enjoy having company with them through the night.
“Last year, my own sleeping partner was a cat named Bellatrix. She was a shy cat who had been overlooked because she didn’t approach people. She slept cuddled up next to me, hung out with me while I read my book, and was a perfect little companion,” Curtin said. “After nearly a year in the shelter, she was adopted the day after the Slumber Pawty because we knew she would cuddle in bed with someone!”
For information on the Shelter Slumber Pawty, visit shelterslumberpawty.com. To donate to Open Door Animal Sanctuary, visit shelterslumberpawty.com/event/ODAS2026. Those interested in participating should contact Curtin via email jeanette@odas.org.