CHANDLER — Halloween is over, but Valley groups say your leftover pumpkins and candy do not have to end up in the trash, ABC15 reported.
Rowell Ranch Farm Sanctuary in Chandler takes untreated, unpainted pumpkins through the holiday season. Owner Cheyenne Rowell said her animals treat them as a snack and a toy.
“I think if they could speak, they would tell you that Halloween is one of their favorite times of the year, because they love to eat all the leftover pumpkins,” Rowell said. Staff toss whole pumpkins over to the animals, who break them apart and eat the pieces.
Rowell said the goal is to cut waste. Instead of going to a landfill, she said, the pumpkins get a second life.
In Gilbert, kids traded candy for cash Monday at Robison Orthodontics. The office says the school with the most participants will get a $500 check.
The collected candy goes to Packages From Home, which uses it as packing material in care packages for U.S. troops, said office manager Kenna Petersen.
Before donating pumpkins to any animal sanctuary, call ahead and make sure they are free of paint, glitter, wax and mold.
Sources: ABC15. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: George Chernilevsky / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
