Max Pflum will also have one of his adopted cats in Woods calendar for second year

ATASCADERO — For the second year in a row, local Max Pflum has raised money for Woods Humane Society and gotten his cats, which he adopted from Wood’s Atascadero shelter, in their calendar twice. The 11-year-old is the youngest person to raise enough donations for the shelter during their Woods Pets of the Year Calendar Contest, and can now proudly say that both of his cats will be featured inside.  

“It makes me feel like I have done something very important and that I supported a good cause,” Pflum said about donating to Woods in their efforts to find animals homes.  

This year, Pflum raised around $950 for the non-profit that pairs residents with their perfect cat or dog. In the meantime, Woods takes care of the animals in a loving environment until they find and can go home with their new owners. It was seeing Woods’ work first hand that made Pflum want to start raising donations for them.

“The animals don’t have homes, and they need care while they find one. I also appreciate Woods because of what they do to care for the animals,” he added.

The youngster has adopted two cats from Woods, a three-year-old tuxedo cat named Olly and a one-year-old lynx-point Siamese named Belle.

“Two years in a row, Max raised enough votes on his contest page through his own efforts to become one of the top ten entries in the contest. He has had both of his cats featured as a calendar pet,” said Woods’ Communication Manager, Jamie Relth.

Belle will be featured in the 2025 calendar, while Olly was featured in this year’s pages. Pflum was at Woods’ Wiggle Waggle Fall Festival on Oct. 26 to unvail Belle’s glamour shot.

“The annual Pets of the Year Calendar Contest celebrates the human-animal bond while raising funds to help more pets in need,” added Relth on how the calendar is created. “Contestants submit a photo of their pet and reach out to friends and family to vote for their photo on their contest webpage. Contestants earn a “vote” with every one-dollar donation made to their contest page, and the ten top fundraisers win a featured spread in the calendar, four printed calendars, and will be a featured pet of the month in 2025 in a Woods social media post, email and website post. All contest participants who raise $25 or more win a print calendar and their pet’s picture on a collage page in the calendar.”

The entire Woods team has been inspired by Pflum and everything he has done for the shelter and the animals in it, and they’ve loved seeing his drive and his success in raising donations because of it.

“It is so moving to see a young person with such a generous spirit and heart for service taking initiative and making a difference for dogs and cats. We couldn’t do the work we do for thousands of pets per year without dedicated supporters like him. Additionally, he is such a prime example that age is not a barrier to making a real impact in your community,” added Relth.

Pflum wants to encourage more kids to join him next year to raise money and get their own four-legged-friends in the Woods Pets of the Year Calendar.

“We are truly grateful and touched that Max has done so much to celebrate his own cats and to help more dogs and cats still waiting to find their best friend. He has made a huge impact already in this community, and we hope to continue watching his journey in community service and animal advocacy,” Relth continued.

To find out more ways that you can donate to Woods Humane Society, go to woodshumanesociety.org/donate.