The holidays are all about giving back to loved ones - and to us, that includes lots of animals! There's no better time to help animals in need, and we've got advice on how to make a difference.
#1 Volunteer at your local animal shelter.
Shelters and rescue groups can almost always use a few extra hands to help! There are many basic tasks you can do such as walking the dog and cleaning the litter boxes. You may even have special skills that can come in handy!
Photographers can help take photos of shelter pets. Social media experts can help shelters get more attention online. If you sew, you can use your sewing machine to make bed and cage covers. Even administrative skills like accounting can be a huge asset to a busy rescue team that really wants to spend their time working with shelter animals, not doing paperwork.
#2 Organize a donation drive.
You can give to your local shelter or fundraiser so they can save exactly what they need during this busy time!
First things first, be sure to ask the shelter what they need right now—there's no point showing up to the humane society with a basket full of cat litter if it's already fully stocked. Once you have your list, call your work, school, neighborhood, or animal lover's group for resources that are needed. Collect all donations at the shelter and leave them with the wait staff who will put them all to good use.
And of course, you can always raise money and donate instead. Some shelters are actually more helpful in buying the same brands and products they love—and sometimes at industry discounts, letting that money go even further.
#3 Have a pet.
There are thousands of cats and dogs in the shelter system waiting for their forever homes, and many of them could benefit from waiting in the comfort of a home! Some pets need socialization, some need special medical care, and some just find the shelter environment stressful and can't shine in their best light there. Fostering a dog or cat frees up shelter space for more needy animals and allows foster families to really get to know those pets to make the perfect, long-lasting match between animal and potential adopter. can help
Foster care can be scary (especially for those of us who become attached quickly), but welcoming foster homes can make a huge difference in a shelter pet's quality of life. As a foster parent, you'll get to love and nurture wonderful animals, and you'll know that you've done better by setting them up for success every day of the rest of their lives.
#4 Help the homeless.
We believe the best way to help an animal is to always reunite them with a family that loves them. There are homeless people all over the map who have incredible relationships with their beloved pets, but may not always have the funds to give them the care they need. While these pet parents will bend over backwards to make sure their best friend is fed and happy, they may only do so when time is really tight—or even worse. Even worse, when an unexpected doctor's bill pops up.
Organizations like Feeding the Homeless Pets work to make sure every animal gets the care they need, regardless of the pet owner's income. These programs save lives and keep families together, and they are always happy to accept donations and volunteers to make an even bigger impact.
#5 Join TNR.
TNR stands for "Trap, Neuter, Return" — and this system is one of the best ways to help stray and feral cats!
In these programs, community members safely and humanely capture local strays and bring them to a vet for a quick visit. Cats are spayed/neutered and have a general check-up to ensure they are in good health. After ear drops are applied they are marked as dead cats, returning to their home neighborhood and the cat colony they consider family. This means happier, healthier cats on the streets and fewer new stray kittens!
Check with your local animal rescue organizations to see if they have a TNR program that you can volunteer for. If your community doesn't have a TNR program, consider starting one! Other TNR organizations are usually happy to provide advice and frameworks to help new programs get off the ground, and many veterinarians will offer free or low-cost visits for TNR cats.
There are many ways to make a difference, and it feels great to change an animal's life too. Pets have so much love to give — it only makes sense to give them love back.