February can be a difficult month. This is about the time
when many people give up on their New Year’s resolutions. Summer is a long time
away, and the holidays are over. Instead of letting life dictate what you do
this month, why don’t you use this opportunity to make a difference at your
local shelter? They always have their hands full, and they could really use
some assistance. You’ll feel great about helping, and the animals appreciate it
even more. Here are some suggestions on what you could do.
Volunteer Your Time
For many people, money is tight – especially if they have to
pay back income taxes. But there’s one thing everyone has an equal share of: time.
If you can spend a few hours at your local shelter each month, you’ll be doing
something incredibly valuable and getting a break from the daily grind at the
same time. You can walk the dogs, help clean the kennels, or just spend time
with the animals. Some shelter animals need to get used to humans before they
can be re-homed. The more friendly faces they meet, the easier it will be for
them to find a forever home.
Make a Donation
Shelters can always use money to buy supplies, but your
donation doesn’t have to be monetary. Maybe you can find gently used dog
collars or bowls at the local thrift store. You could also start an initiative
in your neighborhood and collect dog food for your shelter. Before you put a lot
of effort into it, it’s a good idea to ask your local shelter what they could
use most.
Foster a Dog
Not everyone is in the position to adopt a pet. Whether you
already have more pets than you can handle or whether you can’t make the
long-term commitment – fostering is a great way around it. When you foster a
dog, you keep them for a few weeks until the rescue organization finds a
forever home for them. Fostering a dog is great, because they don’t have to
live in a kennel all day long. Foster pet parents can also help rehabilitate an
animal that needs extensive medical care. In most cases, the rescue
organization carries the financial responsibilities, and you’ll get paid in dog
kisses for caring for the foster pet.
Spread the Word
If you know of someone who wants to adopt a dog, you should
talk to them about your local shelter. Not everyone knows how easy it is to
find the perfect dog at a shelter. But the truth is, adopting a mature dog is a
lot easier than starting out with a puppy from a breeder – especially if you’re
a first-time dog owner. You can also use social media to share information
about your local dog rescue.
Adopt a Pet
If you’re able to have another pet, you can help your
shelter by adopting a dog. This is a big step, and it’s important that you
think this through. If you already have a dog, it’s important to make sure the two
of them get along with each other. It’s also a good idea to allow each dog to
have a separate safe space from each other. Finally, you must be able to afford
caring for another dog. In addition to buying double the amount of food, you’ll
have to cover any necessary vet bills.
The great thing about adopting a dog is that you’re rescuing
an animal that really needs a home. And most adopted dogs are forever grateful
to their new owners for taking them in.
Sponsor a Pet
Adopting and fostering a dog requires a lot of time on your
part. Not everyone is able to do that, especially if you frequently travel out
of town or have someone in your family who is allergic to dogs. Fortunately,
there is another way for you to help the shelter: you can sponsor a dog. That
means you take over some of the financial obligations for that one pet until someone
adopts it permanently. You can also visit the dog when you’re in town and take
it for a walk.
Your local pet rescue organization in Volusia County is doing
a lot of important work in your community. In addition to finding homes for
pets, they also guide foster pet parents in their care of the dogs. Most rescue
organizations rely on the help of volunteers. Therefore, anything you can do to
help will be appreciated.
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