With the countless numbers of cats and dogs who end up at the shelter, it’s understandable that you want to help. Most people only think of adopting a pet when they’re looking for a new furry family member, but you can help rescue organizations on a regular basis in other ways. To give you some ideas on how you can make a difference, we came up with 6 ways you can become an active supporter of your local pet rescue.
1. Walk the Dogs and Play with Them
Shelters and rescue organizations often have a lot of dogs in need of care. The regular staff might just barely have time to feed the animals and clean the kennels. They’re always looking for volunteers. And the best part is that you get to help with the fun stuff. You can volunteer to walk the dogs and play with them. You might even be able to bring your children to help.
The same is true for cats and kittens. All the animals need human contact and social interaction daily. You can imagine how difficult that is with the large number of animals that end up in shelters. Kind, loving attention from humans can even go a long way in socializing an animal that may otherwise not be a good candidate for adoption.
2. Share Information with Your Friends
Rescue organizations rely on many people to spread the word. If you don’t have time to walk or play with animals regularly, you can still make a difference by sharing information about adoptable pets with your friends and family members. You can do this by following them on social media and sharing their posts in your feed. And if someone talks to you about wanting to find a new pet, you can direct them to your local pet rescue.
3. Host a Fundraiser or Community Event
Pet rescue organizations are always looking for donations, volunteers, pet foster parents, and people to adopt their animals. All these goals can be met by hosting a fundraiser or community event. If your community is already hosting a public event, you can ask to represent your local rescue organization at a booth. If they already have an appearance scheduled, they’ll be happy to have additional volunteers.
Another thing that helps your pet rescue is spreading the word about the event. Tell your friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, and anyone else you know about the rescue organization and the great work it’s doing. Be specific and tell them how they can support, for example, by attending the event or visiting the booth.
4. Foster a Pet
It can be easier and less time-consuming to foster a pet than to adopt one. Fostering a pet is the act of temporary housing and taking care of a pet while the rescue organization looks for a new pet owner. This process can take several weeks. During that time, you get the chance to play with the pet without necessarily committing to keeping him for the rest of his life.
Fostering a pet can be a good solution for a family who isn’t ready to adopt a pet, people who move around a lot, or people who are out of town for certain times of the year. The great thing about fostering a pet is that you get paid in kisses. And while parting with the pet can be bittersweet, it’s nice to be responsible for a happy ending and a saved life. And if all else fails and you fall in love with this pet, then you usually have the option of adopting it yourself.
5. Adopt a Pet
Adopting a pet is a great way to help a rescue organization. There are plenty of animals in need of new homes, most of them are ready to be loving companions who just need to be given a chance. Rescue organizations tend to know their pets well, so you’ll know exactly what you’re getting yourself into. They’ll make sure that the pet is the right fit for you, because the one thing they want to avoid at all costs is having to rehome that same animal again.
6. Donate
You can make a difference by donating financially to your local rescue. The money is always useful to pay for food, veterinary care, and staff. If there are funds left, they can be used for marketing to help more pet owners find their new best friend.
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