Connor Mallett didn't ask his friends for games, toys or sporting equipment when his 11th birthday rolled around this year.

Instead, his wish list included such items as kitty litter and dog toys, which the Waterloo boy donated to the Kitchener-Waterloo Humane Society.

Connor got the idea to hold this fundraiser from a friend who collected canned goods and pasta for the food bank on his birthday.

Plus, he didn't think he needed any gifts, unlike the animals at the humane society.

"I knew there were lots of animals there that needed stuff like food and play toys and cat litter," said Connor, who is going into Grade 6 at N. A. MacEachern public school in the fall.

The animal lover comes from a family that includes a number of pets, including two dogs, two fish and a hamster. They've also had a couple of dogs from the humane society in the past.

The nine friends who attended his July 13 party brought nine cans of cat food, one bag of cat litter, seven dog toys and $105, which Conner dropped off at the humane society, located at 250 Riverbend Dr., in Kitchener, after the party.

The guests all thought it was a great idea. Three of his friends sent him emails saying they wanted to do the same thing at their next birthday party.

And his mother, Tammy Mallett, is also proud of him.

"He did a great thing," she said.

Conner doesn't regret his decision to forgo gifts.

"It made me feel really good about what I had done because I knew I was going to help out the dogs and cats that were there that needed help," he said.

And it seems his timing was ideal as the humane society is "packed" at the moment, said Kathy Innocente, the organization's fundraising and community relations manager.

"Summer is the worst in here," she said about the warmer weather, which results in cats spending time outdoors and getting pregnant. Plus, more animals are abandoned in the summer months. "If anybody is thinking about adopting animals, now is the time. There's a big selection," she said.

It's becoming increasingly common for young kids like Connor to hold fundraisers at their birthday parties -- and that's something the humane society appreciates, Innocente said. "It makes everything here to operate and care for the animals that much easier," she said. "We rely on the community to help us out with doing that."

The humane society is there to help children plan their fundraisers. Right now the organization is in need of kitten and puppy food, kitten milk replacement and cash donations for veterinary care.

Connor encourages other kids to follow his lead and support the humane society at their next party, especially by collecting money for animals that need surgery.

"And it can help dogs and cats feel happy once they're in their cages," he said.

Plus, it's great for young people to start giving back to the community, Innocente said.

"It makes me feel really good to know that children out there are reaching out and doing that," she said.

"To help the animals in your community, it just doesn't get any better than that."