Have you ever wondered how you can help your local shelter? Do you want to get involved but don't know how? Here are five things you can do to help homeless animals at your local shelter.
1) Instead of looking for your next pet at a breeder or pet store, take a look in your local shelter and animal rescues. Have a little patience and keep looking on Petfinder if you don't see the pet you want. Animals quickly come and go, so the pet you are looking for could show up at any time.
Did you know that most pet store pets either come from backyard breeders or puppy mills? Puppy mills are places where they use breed dogs and then they sell the puppies to pet stores. Their living conditions are inhumane because they spend their life in a wire cage and get very little human interactions. Often time the pups are ripped away from their mothers way too soon. Due to the lack of care for these animals, they can have social and health problems.
2) If you don't want to make a life long commitment, you can always foster a pet in need. This means you take the animal into your home, prepare it to be adopted by giving it love and some training, and advertise your foster pet to help find him/her their forever home. Rescues and shelters should cover all medical expenses and some will even provide food.
3) The most hands-on way to help out your local shelter is to volunteer. You can work directly with the animals by walking dogs, socializing cats, do meet and greets with potential adopters and take photos of the animals. If you love animals but may be allergic, you can still help! There are office tasks that need to be done, follow-up calls, advertising the animals on social media sites and in your neighborhood, doing laundry, and stuffing kongs for the dogs.
4) Donate! Monetary donations are always appreciated but so are other items! Newspaper, sheets and towels, treats, food, kongs, office supplies, dish soap, and laundry soap are only a few ideas of things to donate.
5) Do you know how to crochet or knit? You can make blankets for the pets at the shelter. Animals at the shelter are often scared since they are in a loud unfamiliar place. Blankets can offer comfort in these times when they feel scared and alone.
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