When Mia Oliveira turned 7 on Jan. 8 last year, she decided she didn’t need a big party for herself, so she threw one in support of local animal shelters asking party guests to bring donations in lieu of presents.

Turning the Mattapoisett hair salon where her mother works into a donation drop-zone, Mia planned her eighth birthday on Sunday to be bigger and better than last year.

For Mia, who lives in New Bedford with her parents, a cat named Tutu and two fish tanks full of fish; animals are something to get excited about.

“I like animals because they are cute,” Mia said. “And a lot of them are cuddly and soft so that’s good too.”

The idea of foregoing birthday gifts for herself in favor of supporting the animals was entirely Mia’s idea said her mother Tara Oliveira, who works as a hairdresser at “Hair Unlimited” in Mattapoisett.

“She came up with the idea all on her own,” Tara said. “She’s anything about animals anyway. When it came time to plan her party all she said was ‘I have to help the animals,” Tara said.

So last year when time came for her birthday party, Mia got in touch with the Humane Society and Shelter in Dartmouth to see what they may need. From the shelter’s “Wish List,” Mia created her own list for donations, which she sent out along with the party invitations.

This year, Mia expanded her fundraiser with donations going to the shelter in Dartmouth as well as towards “It’s All About the Animals” in Rochester.

Inside “Hair Unlimited,” Mia gathered the pre-party donations.

There, customers of the salon, as well as friends and family, could stop by and leave gifts (cat bowls, dog leashes, food, etc…) in piles where Mia keeps everything neatly organized – there are bags for food, for toys and for cleaning supplies.

The response from customers of “Hair Unlimited,” has been very generous, Tara said. She added that in the days leading up to Mia’s “shelter party” she had already collected over $100 from customers to give to the shelter.

Last year Mia raised over $150 and 300 items to donate to the shelter. This year, with all of the early donations, her second grade class at Saint Joseph’s School and the rest of her friends at the party, Mia surpassed last year’s amount says Tara. Overall, Tara said Mia collected over $250 and close to 400 items for the animal shelters.

The single most important thing Mia had wanted to get for the animals last year was cat beds she said.

And why one might ask?

“Cats got to have beds,” Mia said.

This year, Mia said she is hoping for a lot of food donations.

Mia’s 8th birthday party was Sunday in North Dartmouth where Mia and her mother arranged for a paw print covered cake and special party favors for the guests. To thank everyone for their donations Mia created her own pet adoption agency. Inside “Mia’s Animal Shelter” Mia handed out adoption certificates and a stuffed animal to the party guests.

Mia and her mother will be taking all of the donations to the shelters in Dartmouth and in Rochester this week.  Mia will also start volunteering at the Rochester shelter this week in a job that her mother says will have her “socializing the cats.”

“I’m excited to play with them and take care of them,” Mia said.