HUNTERSVILLE – When her mom, Beth, asked Megan Mancuso what she wanted for her 10th birthday, “Megan surprised me by saying she didn’t want any presents, that she wanted friends and family to bring donations for an animal shelter instead.” The rising fifth-grader at Huntersville Elementary School had visited the shelter before with her family, and they called to find out what the shelter needed. Friends and family donated everything from dog and cat food, to kitty litter, pet toys and treats. Megan, her mom and brother, Camden, a rising sixth-grader at Bailey Middle School, also bought additional items with Megan’s birthday money. Megan has two dachshunds, two hermit crabs and two mice and talks about training as a zookeeper. Find more information about the shelter online at www.cornelius.org/animalshelter.