PLACERVILLE . INFO

There may be a cake and candles and plenty of fun things to do at Lily Macadam's birthday party today in El Dorado Hills today, but there won't be any presents to unwrap.

That's because 4-year-old Lily and her parents have asked those attending the party to forego the standard chore of buying gifts and instead consider making a charitable donation to Central California Labrador Rescue.

The family got the idea from a teenage relative in Keller, Texas, who started asking for charitable donations in lieu of gifts when she was 10. The girl, Channing Thompson, is now 15.

"I just thought it was a great idea," said Cynthia Macadam, Lily's mom, who is Channing's aunt. "Just the sense that you have to get all these things for your birthday, I didn't want to start that trend.

"Lily is 4 now and really doesn't understand what is going on, but we will take pictures and when she's older we will tell her, 'This is what you were doing."

Macadam and her husband, Scott, chose the dog rescue group because of Lily's natural affection for dogs. She said the reaction from those planning to attend the party has been enthusiastic.

The family has a year-old Labradoodle -- a lab and poodle mix -- named Pippa that seemed to help Lily with her shyness.

"She would talk about the dog and it really helped her," said Cynthia Macadam.

The couple also have 2-year-old twin boys.

"People were like, 'You're getting a dog?' " Cynthia said with a laugh.

Said Roz Boscia, a volunteer with Central California Labrador Rescue: "To think that someone would be that compassionate and not self-serving, it was just a feeling of amazement and gratitude toward Cynthia and Lily."

For more information about the rescue group, which adopts out 375 to 425 dogs a year, visit www.cc-labrescue.org.

The group, which has no central headquarters and relies on foster homes to keep dogs until they are adopted, has noticed a marked increase in dogs needing homes, especially with the recent wave of home foreclosures that has prompted many to abandon their pets.

"We are having Realtors calling us and telling us things like the dog is tied up in the backyard and the neighbors are feeding it," Boscia said.

About the writer:

* Call The Bee's Blair Anthony Robertson, (916) 321-1099.