How can we help homeless animals?

A sad white dog

Every year, millions of animals end up in shelters all across the globe. These animals are either rescued from the streets or dropped off at the shelter. Though a lot of these shelters provide outstanding care and attention, there are still limitations to what they can do.

As an individual, you can contribute to these efforts in a lot of different ways. Running a shelter involves a ton of work and they will need all the help they can get. Offering even a small donation or volunteering a short amount of your time can make a huge difference.

Why we should help animals?

Animals, whether we are aware or not, play a huge role in our lives and in the environment. Therefore, it’s in our best interest to help them however we can.

Altruism aside, there are quite a few key reasons we should care for them. One reason is to prevent the spread of disease.

Diseases, such as rabies, pose a huge threat to humans. The disease is fatal to humans, as well as to the animals who carry it. Infected animals become aggressive and bite without provocation.

Rescuing animals helps prevent the spread of rabies by reducing the population of potential carriers in the wild. This reduces the chance of infected animals harming other people and animals in the community.

How can we help save animals?

The best and most effective way to help homeless animals is to raise awareness in the community.

Talking to people in the community can bring about the changes that will dramatically improve the welfare of these animals.

Spay and neuter your own pets, if you have them, and tell your friends to spay and neuter their pets. Spaying and neutering help control the population of strays in the community.

Advocate for adopting pets instead of shopping. There are a lot of pets in shelters today that are eager to find their forever homes. Adopting helps improve their lives and allows shelters to accommodate more pets that need their help. Some shelters even give you a starter kit of blankets, toys, and other things you may need to care for your new pet.

You can also consider donating your time and skills to your local centers. Volunteering to help out in the shelter for a few hours a week will surely be appreciated by the staff. If you have other skills such as carpentry, accounting, or graphic design, you can offer your services to the shelter. You can help build things for the animals, balance the shelter’s books, or design advertisements and print ads for the shelter.

What can I do for stray dogs?

If you see a stray dog in your area, you can help them, but you should do so with caution.

Never approach stray dogs, especially if they look scared. You may have the best intentions, but they don’t know that and could bite if you get too close. Instead, call your local animal control or animal rescue center for assistance.

Stray dogs are easily spooked and can become aggressive when cornered. It is best to let the experts handle the situation for the safety of the dog and everyone involved. Once in custody, the dogs will be tested for various diseases and their overall health is checked.

What can I do for stray cats?

Just like dogs, stray and feral cats can be very aggressive when approached.

For you and the cat’s safety, it is best to call for professionals to deal with the situation. Until proper testing is done, one can’t be sure if the animal is free from diseases like rabies which pose a serious threat to humans.

Once in custody, you can help the cat by visiting them often once. Donating some supplies such as blankets and a litter box would be a great way to help as well.

Once fully recovered and tested for any diseases, fostering cats until they find a forever home is a possibility. Who knows, you might find a furry friend that you’d like to adopt yourself!

What can I do for other stray animals right now?

Become a Sponsor

Caring for so many animals is resource-intensive. This can easily put strain on a shelter’s very limited budget. You can help by directly donating funds to the shelter as a sponsor. Another way is to organize fundraiser events like fun runs or walk-a-thons for your cause. Getting the whole community involved not only helps in reaching the monetary goal but also helps to create awareness for animals in need that leads to helping more animals in the future.

Volunteer

Volunteering in rescue centers is a proactive way to make a huge impact on the animals. Caring for animals is a challenging task and any help would be very much welcome. Talk to these shelters and see if they are accepting volunteers. Even just a couple of hours every week can provide a shelter with the assistance they need.

Donate to Help Homeless Pets

Donating funds and supplies to animal shelters is also one of the best things you can do for animals in the shelter. Old blankets, toys, and other supplies can greatly help the shelters to save what limited resources they have. Ask your family and friends to participate in a donation drive for the benefit of your local shelter.

Foster homeless animals

Fostering is an effective way to help homeless pets in shelters. By fostering, you help rehabilitate pets and teach them how to live with humans. Elderly and special needs pets need more intensive care due to their condition. The shelters may not be able to provide the care they need in-house and fostering is a great way to accommodate those special needs. This also helps the shelter because they can channel their limited resources to the animals that need the most care.

How you can help animals right now?

Helping animals in need is one of the most rewarding things you can do. Even the smallest things can have significant effects on the lives of animals in the shelter. If you are not able to volunteer or foster, you can still help. You make a huge impact when you donate to save animals. The funds will be used to buy supplies like food and medicine, and to improve the shelter’s facilities. Remember, every little bit counts.

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Your Support Makes a Great Life for our Rescued Animals Possible