It is said that there are about 6 million pets in shelters. If you are an animal lover, you would probably want to help in any way possible and sometimes some may think “what can I do alone?” Even if one person adopts a pet, it can change the world for that animal. So even the smallest help counts. Homeless pets can result from the failure of spaying and neutering, and this brings more animals into a world that already has a lot of pets. Many of these are a result of people abandoning their pets because they can’t care for them. Many shelters have started turning a blind eye to these animals which is why they end up on the streets. Some of the animals that depend on humans for shelter are dying due to various diseases or being hit by a car or by people. Here are a few ways you can help homeless pets by doing your part.
1. Volunteer your time
Many of these shelters function on the amount of manpower they have. It is the kind of volunteers that help the functioning of these shelters smoothly. One of the ways you can make a difference is by volunteering at these shelters:
Dog Walking
Feeding and hydrating pets
Transporting animals from the street to rescue shelters
Sitting and talking to these pets, and giving them time
Managing various activities at shelters and being an active member
2. Donate money to these shelters
The reason why some of the rescue shelters do not function at full capacity is that they do not have the money or the resources to do so. Most of these places are on a tight budget and the vet bills do not help the situation as medical help is expensive. You can donate some of your money at various stores and make a difference. Amazon will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to a charity of your choice at no additional cost to you.
3. Donate items
These animal shelters and rescue places often need anything they can get. You can help donate any toys or animal food and be of big help. Things like clean blankets or towels, unopened food, Dog or cat beds, good condition toys, leashes or collars for animals, and grooming equipment like a brush can be donated to help these animals have a temporary home or place to help maintain their health. You can talk to people who had pets who may have useful things to donate and will be happy to repurpose these items which are not of use anymore. Something that is not useful to you could be useful to others. Make a list of things that could be helpful and circulate it in your community so that people can help in any way possible.
4. Help at adoption events
Adoption events generally take place at local stores or events or pet stores. These places are among the best ways to showcase animals and their need for adoption. They need volunteers to help with handling the pets or talking to people and making them used to the idea of adoption. They also need someone to be the transporter from the event to people’s homes seamlessly. These events generally need volunteers in different ways. Go and give them your time.
5. Prevention
Every time you donate or volunteer your time to these shelters, you are helping them in various ways. The best way to help these homeless pets is to prevent them from being on the streets by making sure all the pets are spayed and neutered so that there aren’t more animals that are on the street. Campaigns should be organized to spay and neuter animals for free, and awareness should be spread on the importance. Support nonprofit organizations by accumulating donations so that they can spay and neuter these animals at a lower cost, and create awareness amongst communities. Know more about the costs of spaying and neutering a dog.
6. Donation jars
Help set up various donation jars at your local businesses and stores where people visit frequently. Be sure to ask for permission from these businesses and talk to them about the cause. Put up a jar that is colorful so it attracts attention and place pictures of various pets to emerge an emotion.
7. Write to shelters
Most of these shelters and rescue places have people working for them daily and it can be an exhausting line of work. Sometimes it is a thankless job when people are not made to feel good about doing something. You can use your words and write to these places appreciating their hard work and time to help keep them motivated.
8. Use social media to spread the word
Currently, social media is the best way to reach out to people as people never leave their phones. Facebook groups, Instagram reels and pages, and Twitter posts all of these are useful mediums to connect with people and create a community or a network. Share stories or posts of adoption, talk about the need, and reach out to more people, this can help you find a permanent home for these pets.
9. Educate others
Your job isn’t done by volunteering at shelters, there is more that needs to be done to create awareness. You can educate the people around you by correcting their misinformed views about adoption. You can help guide people towards adoption instead of buying a pet from a breeder. You can talk about the issues by hosting a party or at a friendly event. Use your network to spread the word.
10. Sponsor a pet
One of the best ways to use your resources is to sponsor a pet until they find it forever home. You can pay for their care, maintenance, vet bills, or food until the time they find a permanent home and do not need to be at a shelter. You can also volunteer and babysit these pets in your homes if they need the care. This not only lets you bond with the animals but also gives them a temporary home and all the love they need.
Conclusion
Homelessness is an ever-increasing problem and it needs people like us to help them get through. So instead of talking about the problem, get up and be active and do your part by helping these fuzzy friends in the above ways. Use your kindness, resources, and time and help these pets find a forever home where they deserve to be happy and content. Spread the word and create awareness to make it a bigger community and create a supportive network to deal with the problem at hand.
A Very Happy Birthday to your doggo again!
Audrey Halfen: Beta fish whisperer - whopping 9 months and counting! Once had a dog named Max, who I assertively claim is the cutest dog ever. Ready to throw down in a cute-off, if necessary.
