5 Ways to Help Local Shelters

Animal shelters play an important role in the pet industry. So many animals have no family and no home. Shelters keep the pet industry functioning, but they can’t always do that alone. As pet owners, we should do what we can to support these businesses. Not sure how to start? Here’s our top 5 list of ways to help local shelters:

Donate

One of the best ways to show your support is to donate. Most shelters have a donate tab on their websites that make it easy and quick to do. Taking care of animals is expensive. You have to pay for food, water, cleaning supplies, medical care, and more. Shelters could use the funding boost, so if you have extra money, consider donating to your local shelter! Depending on the shelter, they may also accept donations of food or toys. If you have extra pet supplies, check if a local shelter needs it before giving it away.

Volunteer

For an animal lover, what could be better than spending your spare time helping animals in need? Taking care of one animal takes a lot of work, so imagine how much goes into running a shelter full of them. Volunteer opportunities vary depending on the shelter. To find out details, try contacting your local shelter or checking their website!

Foster or adopt senior/disabled pets

The main purpose of a shelter is to house animals without homes. So it’s no surprise that shelters can get crowded with animals at high risk for surrender, such as senior pets. These animals are so commonly surrendered that they’ve even named November as National Adopt a Senior Pet Month. Disabled pets are also high risk because they too need special care and accommodations, making them more “high maintenance.” Unfortunately, pets that are at higher risk of surrender are also less likely to be adopted. Don’t let the senior and disabled pets live out the rest of their lives without a family. Help your local shelters by considering a disabled or senior pet for adoption! The extra care you put into them will be more than worth it.

Attend events

As businesses, shelters host and attend events, but they need people to show up and show support! You can help by attending an event that’s fundraising for a shelter or by going to the shelter for their special events. Shelters may host supply drives, adoption events, or other creative events. They also often take adoptable pets to third party events. Whatever event it is, attending has two benefits: you help the shelter and you have fun doing it!

Spread the word

If you don’t have the time or money to do the options above, simply spreading the word is a big help! Talking to friends, family, and fellow pet owners about shelters in your area can bring attention (and business) to them. Posting on social media can also help advertise local shelters. If you do any business with a shelter, post about it on social media to spreads awareness of the shelter. Anything helps: a post about an animal you adopted from the shelter, talking about your volunteer experience with them, pictures from events you’ve attended. The more you talk about your local shelters, the more help you provide to support the shelter.

Not all of the options will be available at all times. Each local shelter looks for help in different ways. When in doubt, check the shelter’s website to see what help they’re asking for specifically. Our top 5 are also not the only ways to help local shelters. If you know of any other ways to help, let us know!

Animal shelters play an important role in the pet industry. So many animals have no family and no home. Shelters keep the pet industry functioning, but they can’t always do that alone. As pet owners, we should do what we can to support these businesses. Not sure how to start? Here’s our top 5 list…