Using the Petfinder website, you can locate the closest shelter or rescue organization near you and contact them to see if they are in need of volunteers.
Volunteering can include walking dogs that are up for adoption, helping to clean their environments, or just spending time with a shelter animal so they can feel a warm and loving touch.
You can also go as far as fostering an animal if you have the means, time and space. It is a big responsibility just like adopting a pet is, so you should be sure you're ready before exploring this option.
Volunteering your time isn't the only thing you can do to help. Spreading awareness about shelter animals is a helpful and important effort that takes little time on your part. A lot of people are uneducated when it comes to adopting pets, it's great to help spread the word about what it means to be a pet parent and how big and important the responsibility is. Helping boost local shelter's message on social media to help get pets adopted is also a great help!
Sometimes you want to do more and feel helpless because you don't have a lot of money to spare. If you'd like to make effort to donate some money to local, national or global animal shelters or charities, you can find ways to gather up some money to donate. Every penny counts. You could clean out your living space of things you don't need or use anymore and sell items in a garage sale or craigslist to make a few dollars to donate. If you don't have any items to spare or don't want to do that, you could even request that friends or family give donations in lieu of birthday or holiday gifts.
There are so many ways to get creative and raise money or awareness. Both are equally important, and every little motion counts, so never feel like you're not doing enough because as long as you're doing something, you are helping out greatly!
To find a local shelter or rescue organization near you, a helpful website is Petfinder.
Click here and type in your zip code and the website will list out shelters and organizations near you!
Most all of the search results will also include a contact Phone number, e-mail or website. Use the contact information to get in touch with the place and ask if they are taking donations.
Some shelters have a list of items they are in need of. If you'd rather donate items than money, ask if they have a list like this.
Where can I donate locally?
I can't afford to donate, what other ways can I help?
I want to adopt.
Where do I begin?
It's always best to look to animal shelters when wanting to adopt because those are the animals most in jeopardy of losing their life.
Buying from a pet store is frowned upon because it can support puppy mills.
"When someone buys a puppy or kitten from a pet store, they’re unknowingly supporting Puppy Mills, which are large-scale breeding operations that put profit ahead of animal welfare. Female breeding dogs are forced to produce litter after litter until they can no longer breed—at which point they risk destruction. Many puppy mills dogs have never been out of their cages, have never felt grass under their feet—never been hugged in a way that makes them know that they’re cared for. By saying NO to a pet store pet, you’re saying NO to animal cruelty."
-Animalleague.org
To find a shelter or rescue organization near you, these websites provide lists by area search:
