My favorite thrift store

Don’t we adore ’em?

If you love animals as I do, & you want to donate items to a worthy cause, you might consider the Spay and Neuter (SPAN) Thrift Store  at 110 North Olive St, Suites A & B, Ventura – behind the Main St. Rite Aid on the far west side. If you check out their site, http://spanonline.org,  you’ll find out some nifty facts, such as: they’re an all-volunteer operation, how many animals they’ve helped recently, etc. They are wonderful folks.

Here are a few things you might want to know beforehand: Please, no “post-garage sale” items! If things didn’t sell at a garage sale, they probably won’t in their store either. SPAN likes furniture, clothes, & books, among other things. (They would love it if you call them first: (805) 641-1170  to see if they can use what you’re offering.) Please, no mattresses, computers or electronics, including TVs. If things are “fixable” – need a little work to bring them up to speed – their handy guy will do so when possible.

SPAN will pick up too! (Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, Ojai & even Santa Barbara – but  you need to make it worth their while for coming out – not just an item or two.) They confirm pickup info on Wednesdays.

They’re open on the same days they pick up: Tuesday-Saturday. The store hours are 10am-4:30pm.

While we’re on the topic of our faithful furry friends, I’d like to tell you about two related sites I discovered through my favorite (excellent!) website designer, Debbie Gadbois of Webb Weavers Consulting in Ventura: https://lostdogventuracounty.com, and https://lostcatventuracounty.com.

And – update 2023 – I’ve discovered another professional I recommend for improving the quality of life of your canine friend(s): https://dogtrainingnearyou.com/ Kristen Mesecher has done meticulous research into where to find dog trainers who only use positive reinforcement in training dogs. It’s country-wide, organized by city and state! And it contains other helpful tips as well.

And here’s yet another service professional I recommend for help with harmonizing human-pet relations, and treating pet traumas / transitions / losses, using Reiki and crystals: Regina Melzer at  https://peacefulpetsla.com.