This week’s “Thankful Thursday” would like to commend the innovative and compassionate approach of the Muncie, Indiana Police Department on how community members could pay for their parking tickets, one that would directly benefit the city’s feline residents.

In lieu of paying their parking tickets with cash, community members could donate animal supplies to the city’s shelter. According to a video posted on Facebook, Officer Jamie Brown said, “If you have a $25 parking ticket, you can bring up to $25 worth of cat food or litter and get your parking ticket to go away with the exchange of the donation.”

After officers toured the Muncie Animal Care and Services Shelter, they found that the shelter was in need of supplies to care for over 350 feline residents.

Over a course of four days, the Muncie Police Department declared the shelter donation campaign a huge success. It also inspired other community residents, who didn’t have a parking ticket to donate.

The department shared on their Twitter page, “A lot of people have donated cat food and litter this week! We are glad this week’s unique promotion helped spread the word!”

“We are incredibly grateful for the support we receive from the community, and this is such a wonderful opportunity to help your local shelter,” Muncie ACS added. “Thank you to the Muncie Police Department for putting this together!”

In a CNN interview, Shelter Office Manager Ashley Honeycutt said, “I don’t know if the police department plans on doing this again, but we’re incredibly grateful to them and the community. We are not the only shelter going through this right now. It’s kitten season, and we encourage everyone to help their local shelter out.”