Operation Blankets of Love

Operation Blankets of Love, or OBOL, is exactly what it sounds like—an organization that spreads love like a warm blanket. The recipients of this love are thousands of animals living in shelters and on the streets. The nonprofit was started quite by accident in 2008, when Eileen Smulson passed by a shelter being built in Chatsworth. It was a rainy day and seeing so many animals shivering from the cold, she approached the head of the shelter to ask why there were no blankets available for the pets. Eileen was told the facility had no budget for any comfort items like blankets or towels. In an instant, Operation Blankets of Love was born.

Today OBOL has some 50 drop-off locations in Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura and Santa Clarita counties, where people regularly donate thousands of items. In the beginning, it was mostly blankets and towels that were given away free to shelters. But then the group started getting things like leashes, collars, beds, and medical and grooming supplies.

The shelters didn’t really need all those items, so that’s when OBOL reached out to animal rescue groups. They spend the majority of their funds on vet bills and neutering, so the donations were gratefully accepted. The growth of OBOL has been phenomenal. The organization is the area’s leader in this type of nonprofit, now helping 90 different shelters and over 700 animal rescue groups.

“We say we rescue the rescuers. We’re like the Red Cross for the animal rescue world,” says Eileen of their successful mission. As Founder and Executive Director of OBOL, Eileen depends heavily on her husband Brad, the Director of Operations, as well as the many volunteers who donate countless hours of their time. We have all witnessed the troubling and growing problem of homelessness in our region, which led OBOL to start helping homeless people with pets. It’s an idea that has taken hold and made a huge difference in our community.

After seeing so many homeless people with pets that were hungry, OBOL devised a way to safely reach out to this population. The group works with some 35 homeless organizations to distribute pet items. Their employees are trained to go into uncomfortable or sometimes unsafe situations and can offer the desperately needed help to the animals and their owners.

OBOL also works with local politicians and social service agencies to take part in Homeless Connection Days, which are held in different parts of the city each month. They set up a table, and give pet owners that are homeless everything from toys to beds to treats. “Homeless people don’t want to give up their animals. Often they are their only family,” explains Eileen. “We see them giving their pets people food before feeding themselves, because they want to make sure their animal is okay. They are so thankful to us for doing this.”

Their success helping the homeless morphed into yet more areas where OBOL services have become critical. These include providing assistance for veterans who are homeless and have pets, as well as seniors and shut-ins who have a difficult time taking care of and feeding their animals.

The group started partnering with the Veterans Administration in several different ways. There is what’s known as Stand Down Day, which is held a few times a year. OBOL either mans a booth or supplies the VA with pet items to give away. There are also volunteer vets who work with those in need of supplies.

As for seniors, OBOL has joined with groups like Meals on Wheels to provide pet food that can be delivered along with the client’s food. The kindness even extends to people and pets facing natural disasters. “We’re a very unique, one of a kind organization. During disasters, we set up at evacuation centers to make sure people with pets are taken care of,” says Brad.

Operation Blankets of Love mostly deals with dogs and cats. But Eileen smiles when she mentions, “We also help with bunny rescue, bird rescue, reptile rescue, wolf dogs, hamsters. You name it. Every day is different.”

This dedicated team has obviously made a huge difference in the lives of both pets and people. Spreading their love and generosity to the homeless and vet populations has opened up a path to giving these people dignity and bringing joy to their lives by helping to keep their precious pets safe and fed.

“We’re running a nonprofit that has turned into our passion,” says Brad. “What better way to spend our senior years than fueling that passion.”

For more information on Operation Blankets of Love, go to https://www.obol.info/