Making a Difference in a Shelter Pet's Life
How do you make a difference in a shelter pets life?
There are sooo many ways! The most impactful ways will be getting out and about with some hands on doggy cuddling or kitty play time but some you can even do from home! I know so many stay at home moms who wish they had time to help but lets face it, being a mom is full time and it’s not like you can just bring a baby or young child to a shelter and it be easy. But there are other ways to help!
Most impactful will of course be signing up to volunteer at your local shelter. Most shelters should have a volunteer program where you usually go through some training just teaching you about their facility and them showing you where everything is. Once you do that you just come during business hours and help out! Helping out could mean many things so there is surely something for everyone! Here’s a list of ways I know my shelter needs:
Walk dogs of course! Most have play yards where you can take the dogs out one at a time to go potty and let them stretch their legs and play with toys. If there are not play yards then you’ll just walk them around the facility and let them sniff all the new smells and decompress a little by getting some fresh air. A lot of shelter dogs sadly do not get to see sunlight but a few times a week IF that. So even a short 5 minute walk means SO MUCH to them. Not only does it help them destress but it helps them get adopted! Imagine being cooped up all day 24/7. You’d become pretty depressed and just “Eh” right? Well dogs do the same or we have the other type who get such bad anxiety they start to act out. Neither look great for people coming in looking for their new buddy. So taking just a short few minutes to be outside with them can lift their moods, get some of that pent up energy out so when people come to look at them they’re more ready to show their true personalities and get adopted.
Wash bowls and help clean up! Every shelter or rescue has bowls, towels, blankets, etc. all that need to be washed and maintained to help keep the animals in their care safe and healthy. So if you don’t feel confident taking dogs out to walk there are many other ways to help out that still make a HUGE impact! Dogs need clean bowls to stay healthy and clean towels and blankets to stay warm.
Treat enrichment! Some shelters/rescues have a program for treat enrichments which are giving each dog a toy (typically a kong like toy) filled with peanut butter or treats so the dogs cooped up all day get some kind of outlet/ exercise to stimulate their brains and give them something to be excited about! If your shelter or rescue doesn’t have this then maybe you can even recommend it! A wonderful way to help the animals decompress and get some of that anxiety out. But with that they need helpers. People to fill the toys and hand them out to the animals. People to pick them up and sanitize them when done. Then rinse and repeat! Such a small task that also makes a HUGE impact! This is also something that can be done from home! (If allowed). We have trusted volunteers who will pick up bags of these toys and take them home to wash and sanitize then they do a fun “craft” table with their kids and have them help fill them back up for the doggos! How cute is that! Getting the kids involved in helping animals is so wonderful.
Doggy Day Out! This one is my favorite and it’s SO fun! Not all shelters & rescues may offer this but maybe it’s something you could suggest as well if not! The way mine does this program is you are a registered volunteer and you fill out a form for what dog you wish to take out for the day, a couple hours, over night, the weekend, etc.! Whatever length you’re willing to commit to. You pick up a dog and you take it on an Adventure! I’ve picked up dogs and taken them to a park for a good walk then to a starbucks to sit on the patio and enjoy a pup cup. You can do that and take them back to the shelter within a few hours or you can even take the dog home and let them take a nice quiet nap in your home for a day or even a weekend if you’re able to. People often say “Isn’t it worse and sad to bring the dog out and then take it back?” and my answer is yes, it is sad but it is not worse at all. When a dog is taken out of the shelter for any period of time they are able to decompress and relax. They are able to breath and hear themselves breath for the first time in forever. They are able to feel hopeful and remember there is a whole world out there. Yes, it is sad taking them back but you have to remember the benefits out weight the cons. While you have the dog out and about you are taking pictures and videos of them to show what goofy adorable personalities they have. All of this will help the shelter/rescue network to find them their furever home.
Marketing!! This is the fun stuff you can do from home! Every shelter and rescue has to have people able to post and get the animals seen. Unfortunately not all have the funds to hire a full time person to do this. Reach out to your local shelter or rescue and ask if they need some help making animal adoption profiles, kennel cards that make the animals look cute, volunteer info sheets, etc. There are so many marketing opportunities I’m sure every shelter/rescue would need some help on!
#1 thing I get told as a volunteer and foster by people who “wish” they could do it too- “I could never go volunteer or foster because it’s too sad”.
Yeah, it is sad. It is absolutely heart breaking sometimes but how do you think these homeless animals feel? They did not ask to be here. They don’t even understand how they got there. They just know a human let them down and are waiting for that unicorn to come save them because lets face it, people who want to help animals are starting to look like unicorns. Lets make a difference and change that. Put your feelings aside and put yourself in their situation. I promise you that when you see the adoption photos of that one dog you walked and got photos of you’re going to feel so honored to be a part of their journey. Their new adopters may not know it but because of you that dog was able to be a little less stressed and a little more personable which made their new family see them. We may not be able to change the world but we can change the world for that one dog.
Go volunteer, go help, go make a difference.
Email me at zeldasmissionpetboutique@gmail.com if you would like help finding shelters or rescues in your area!
