GRAFTON, Ohio–Every child looks forward to their birthday, and this year, Karlie Smick has a lot to celebrate.
“I am 8, but I’m turning 9 this week,” Karlie said.
But this year, Karlie is passing up the cake and ice cream.
Instead, she’s collecting donations for her charity: Karlie’s Cause.
“She came to me when she was 6 years old, going on 7,” said Kelly Smick, Karlie’s mom. “She told me that, ‘you know mom, Santa brings me enough presents. That I don’t need any more toys. How about we do something for the animals?”
On her seventh and eighth birthday’s alone, Karlie collected more than 500 pounds of pet food and hundreds of dollars.
But an eight-year-old passing up a party and presents? It almost hard to believe.
“I have more of a heart of animals than any of that,” Karlie said. “I wouldn’t want a party or gifts. Well, the gifts I get enough for Christmas. But the party, I’m just not a partier.”
The donations from Karlie’s Cause help abused animals. This year, she’s giving to Ziggy’s Friends Rescue in Grafton.
“Unbelievable! Karlie gave up her birthday presents, but she gave us a present,” said June Arnesen, owner of Ziggy’s Friends Rescue, a rescue effort with Paws in the Woods. “A little kitty, they thought had a broken leg, a hurt leg. Turned out, she needed hip surgery. That’s $350 just for that and I also was going to spade her. You’re talking $600.”
The money Karlie raised this year will help Scooter, an abused cat that needed surgery. Karlie gets donors as far as California and New York.
“Makes you want to cry cause you’re just so proud of her,” her mom said. “I mean, like you said, how many kids do you know at 6 years old have the empathy and love for the animals and know that there are animals out there in need of homes and food?”
Karlie said she wants others to help those less fortunate, especially our furry friends.
“The animals here, if they don’t have food and they don’t have the water, they’re probably going to die,” Karlie said. “Pets are not our whole life, but they make our life whole.”
To find out how you can donate or adopt a pet, go to Paws in the Woods.’
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UPDATE: After our broadcast, Karlie caught the attention of Ellen Degeneres. She got a special birthday treat from the talk-show host: a trip to Disney!