NORWICH – For most kids, birthdays mean cake, surprise parties and maybe getting a few special gifts. But for 7-year-old Madalyn Quattrocchi of Norwich, a birthday is chance to give back.

Rather than getting gifts and having a birthday party with friends this year, Madalyn traded her time in the birthday spotlight for money, food and cleaning supplies to donate to the Chenango County SPCA. As an animal lover – with young ambitions of one day becoming a veterinarian – Madalyn said birthdays can be fun; but there’s more fun in helping a good animal find a good home.

“There are a lot of animals that don’t have a home,” said Madalyn, also mentioning she and her family adopted their dog, Rocco, from the Chenango SPCA a year ago. “We saved a dog,” she added. “He’s from here, so I wanted to help him.”

Madalyn and her parents, PJ and Tai Quattrocchi, immediately reached out to friends and family, soliciting donations for the Chenango SPCA in place of birthday gifts for Madalyn. Then one by one, Madalyn’s friends traded in their gifts for supplies for the shelter. The end result was stacks of boxes chocked full of cat and dog food, kitty litter, q-tips, paper towels, assorted cleaning products, newspapers, sheets and blankets for animal bedding, and squeaky toys.