I want to donate some food and toys to my local animal shelter.

Ask your local shelter what they need. Some even accept old clothes or handmade dog beds, but shelters typically have some sort of 'wish list' of things they need the most. Also ask about what they won't accept.

>>2035269
That works.
Also, donating the money itself tends to work well, considering they know exactly where to spend it, and tend to get stuff at a discounted price.

In our shelter most usefull donations are by order:

1-Dry Food
2-Food Cans
3-Lesmania Medication
4-Actual money to buy more expensive things that are not obtainable with donations (f.e a clothes washing machine), medicines, vets, mandatory shots, chip and sterilisation of our cats and dogs.
5-Old Clothes and towels and cat beds (dogs love to destroy that stuf whrn playing together, and most cats hate to share)
6-Toys for cats and dogs.
7-Anything is welcome.

Also some vets donate their time and do shots, visits and sterilisations for free. We just pay the material, the oficial paperwork, and the lab tests.

I hope you get some ideas from this list.