I absolutely love animals. When I was little, I wanted to be either a vet or a zoologist. I never became either, but that has not stopped me from greeting every animal that I come across. :) As any pet owner can tell you, a pet brings an incredible amount of joy to the lives of their owners, not to mention the friends and family of their owners. It is because of this that I chose to start helping more homeless pets.
When most people think about helping animals, they think about adopting animals from a shelter. While this is definitely an important undertaking, not everyone is able to adopt an animal. Perhaps they cannot afford one, or perhaps, like me, they already have as many animals as they can support. No matter what the reason, I have learned that there are many other ways to help homeless animals.
Give:
Shelters are always looking for donations. Some only accept money donations, but others accept old toys, bowls, towels, and so forth.
Volunteer:
Shelters need all kinds of different volunteers. Some have a higher commitment of time, and others have a come-when-able commitment. Volunteer positions also range from keeping up grounds to working with the animals – find what fits you!
Educate:
Most people do not realize how big an impact education makes for homeless pets. Education can cover everything from presenting information about spaying/neutering to teaching your children how to greet and handle different animals.
For myself, I started volunteering as a dog walker at Friends of Homeless Animals (FOHA) on Saturdays and/or Sundays. With my sporadic schedule, walking dogs gives me the freedom to volunteer without having to commit to a specific timetable, and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE it!
In addition to walking the dogs, I try to take pictures of each puppy I interact with and post it up on Twitter. I have no idea if this matches a dog with a potential owner, but it certainly helps spread the word that there are wonderful dogs out there looking for a good home. :)
So as we celebrate all the different holidays this month, remember all the pets who are looking for a home where they can bring more joy to the world!
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