6 Ways to Help Animals in a Shelter Near You

In this poor economy, more and more animals are being placed in shelters. The shelters are overcrowded, and at times the animals do not get the care they desperately need. There are many ways you can help the animals that are in these shelters.

1. Adopt a Shelter Animal

Adopting a shelter animal would be the best way to help them. If you are even considering getting a pet, check your local shelter first. These animals are orphans that desperately need and want someone to love them. Perhaps you could even foster them for a while if the shelter is full.

2. Donate to the Shelter

If you cannot adopt nor have no desire to have an animal, offer to help with donations. Shelters have to feed and house a lot of animals. Ask a local shelter if they need donations of food, blankets, toys or other essential items.

Organize a pet food drive through a local group and then deliver everything to the shelter. Host a dinner or a party and charge a bag of pet food as an admission fee. Be creative and have fun while you help the shelter animals.

3. Visit the Shelter

Many times the shelters do not have enough staff to spend quality time with the animals. The animals are starved for love and affection. The shelter will appreciate the assistance, and you may just find an animal to fall in love with. Find out if your local shelter allows volunteers to come by to spend time with the dogs and cats. You could help feed them, walk them are just offer companionship.

4. Help Find Shelter Animals a Home

You can spread the word about the animals in your shelter. If you have friends that are looking for a pet, encourage them to go to the shelter. Get permission to take pictures of the animals and post them to any social media pages you use.

Many Rescue groups post on sites like Facebook and Myspace. Make friends with them on these sites and help share all of their posts. Even if you are not in the same area, your post may reach someone who is close enough to adopt one of the animals you have reposted. Spread the word!

5. Work with a Rescue Group

Rescue groups regularly check on shelters and help advertise the dogs and cats. They actively search for homes for the shelter animals by posting pictures and getting the information out. They use volunteers to help find homes and to transport the rescued animals to their new home.

The dogs and cats in these shelters didn't ask to be placed there. They feel unloved and unwanted. Some might even be someone's loving pet that got lost. If you can't give shelter animals a home, you can at least help find them one by working with a rescue group.

6. Be a Watchful Eye for Shelter Animals

There have been many shelters accused of mistreating the animals in the care. Some shelters are accused of having deplorable conditions, and of euthanizing animals when they aren't supposed to. By keeping a watchful eye on these shelters, perhaps fewer animals would have to suffer these poor conditions.

Check to see that your local shelter is being operated by the standard rules. Even if you do not know the exact rules, you will know if the shelter is clean and if the animals appear to be well cared for. Seemingly sick or injured dogs or cats, should be a flag to warrant questions!

Visit a shelter near you and check to make sure that the animals are being well cared for. If you never go near the shelter, you do not know for certain how the animals are treated. Be a watchful eye for these unwanted and unloved animals. You may not be able to give the animal a home, but you can help to give them a better existence until they do find a good forever home.

Resources:

List of Shelters by State

US and Canada Based Dog Rescue Groups

People for Paws on Facebook