Change A Pet’s Life Day: How You Can Help

  Posted on January 24, 2020  by Joy of Living  No comments

Today is Change A Pet’s Life Day.  This day was established to bring focus to pet adoption, the plight of homeless pets, and inform people on ways to help. Want to help but aren’t sure what you can do?  Check out these suggestions:

Ideas To Change A Pet’s Life

Adopt

I’m a huge advocate of the “adopt, don’t shop” philosophy.  Although many areas are now considered “no-kill,” there are still many cats and dogs euthanized nationwide daily because they weren’t adopted.

Some shelters only allow a pet to remain in their care for a few days. Pets not adopted within that timeframe are euthanized.

Do you have a specific dog or cat breed you love? As an alternative to a breeder, search for a breed specific rescue in your area.

Have specifics you’re looking for such as age or gender?  Two sites, petfinder.com and adoptapet.com, provide profiles of pets in your area that meet those criteria.

Foster

Providing a foster home for a homeless pet is a great way to help. Many homeless pets don’t do well in a shelter environment, and foster care gives them a calm, safe home until they’re adopted.  They relax and learn to trust people, which improves their chances of finding a forever home.

Volunteer

For people whose schedule might not work for adopting or fostering a pet, volunteering at a local shelter is a great option.

Shelters rely on volunteers to help with tasks such as dog walking, cat socialization, or assisting at adoption events.

These activities help socialize adoptable pets, greatly increasing their chances for finding a forever home.

Many shelters and rescues host fundraising events throughout the year and need volunteers to work.  This is a fun way to help homeless pets!

Donate

Concerned about making a monetary donation because you’re unsure how the funds will be used? Donate supplies instead.  Shelters and rescues often have wish lists on their sites for items they need to continue their work.

Are you a frequent Amazon shopper? If so, check out AmazonSmile.  You can designate a charity from the list of almost a million organizations. Every time you shop Amazon donates 0.5% to your charity of choice.

Rescue groups and shelters always welcome cash donations.  Providing medical care for pets in their care, along with supplies, adds up.  Shelters periodically find sponsors that will double donations, so your donation goes twice as far!  That’s a definite win!

Many groups offer sponsorship for adoptable pets as well. Information on sponsoring a pet is usually included with that pet’s adoption post and other information.

Regardless of which of these options you choose, they all work to change a pet’s life.  We’ve made progress but there’s still a long road ahead.  Working together we are making a difference, one pet at a time!

Share Adoptable Pets On Social Media

Spend a lot of time on social media?  Both Petfinder.com and Adoptapet.com make it very easy to share adoptable pets online via Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.  If you follow shelters or rescue groups in your area, share their posts featuring pets they’re hoping to get adopted.

Homeless pets are victims of circumstance.  Sometimes victims of abuse or neglect, or left homeless after the death of their human.  This doesn’t make them “less than” dogs that come from breeders.  Rather, it makes them unlucky.  End of story.

Consider adopting a homeless cat or dog.  The love they will give you will change your life, too, I promise!

Below is a picture of Bruno, a senior black lab mix here in the KC area, that’s looking for a forever home.  If you or someone you know would give him a chance, he would be eternally grateful.

 

If you’d like more info on Bruno, click here