A recently opened pop-up thrift shop in the heart of North Park is hoping to help find forever homes for pets in need.
BeLoved Finds Thrift & Vintage, located at 4129 30th St., opened its doors in May. The store collects and sells a variety of home decor items, but it also accepts pet-related items. These are stored separately until the end of the month when they are all donated to a pet rescue chosen by its staff members.
"Collars, harnesses, unopened food, pens, crates, water bowls, dog beds, cat beds — just about any pet supply you can think of that would be clean enough and new enough to give to a foster parent for that animal is something we would accept," Susan Kaplan, the owner of BeLoved Finds, told NBC 7.
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Kaplan started working with animals at an early age.
"I was already pet-sitting in middle school for money and then into high school for money," she said. "I put myself through college walking dogs."
In 2010, she launched BeLoved Pet Sitting, a pet-sitting business based in San Diego that now has around 675 clients, according to Kaplan. This year, she decided it was time to give back to animals in a bigger way and signed a one-year lease for BeLoved Finds, which is set to end in May 2025.
Clear the Shelters:
"I'm hoping every month we help about 50 animals," Kaplan said.
She wanted her second business to include another thing close to her heart: thrifting.
"I've been thrifting my entire life. Garage sales, estate sales, thrifting," Kaplan said. "I like to combine all of my hobbies and make them into work."
Beyond donating pet supplies, Kaplan works with the rescue of the month to hold an adoption event in front of BeLoved Finds.
The next adoption event is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 7, with Tragic to Magic — a nonprofit rescue based in Rosarito, Mexico, for homeless, sick and unwanted animals. Tragic to Magic is one of the organizations participating in Clear the Shelters, NBC 7 and Telemundo 20's monthlong pet adoption and donation campaign.
If you have pet items you'd like to donate, you can drop them off at BeLoved Finds' back alley bins. Staff members empty the bins every few hours.
The store is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closing hours are later on Fridays and Saturdays.
Pet rescues interested in being one of the rescues of the month can fill out an application on BeLoved Finds' website.
Click here to learn more about Clear the Shelters and find a participating shelter near you.
