How Can I Make A Difference For Shelter Dogs?

Some of you might be wondering how you can make a meaningful difference for the homeless dogs and cats in your area.

If you’re overwhelmed about where to even start, I recommend you take one hour on a Saturday or whatever day you have off and attend an adoption event or visit an animal shelter.

That’s it.

Just get out and see what’s happening in your community.

Introduce yourself to one person. Say you love animals. Get to know the group and what it’s doing and see if you relate to it or not.

Then, if you feel inclined, make a small donation – just $5 or $20. Or, take a picture of one of the pets for adoption and share the photo on Facebook.

Below is Rocko, up for adoption with Labs & More Rescue in San Diego. I took three hours on a Saturday to hang out with him at a recent adoption event.

Once you get out and see what a shelter or rescue group is doing, maybe you’ll realize you’re able to attend an upcoming fundraising such as a silent auction.

You don’t have to write a big check or adopt a dog or a cat. You don’t have to foster.

Just seriously go out and make one connection.

Take one picture of one dog and post it on Instagram. #adopt #Labmix #SanDiego #rescue

These are the small connections that make a difference.

These are the details that lead to bigger things.

For those of you involved with shelters, what is one small thing people could do to help?

Carol-Anne

Monday 17th of August 2015

Give your shelter some small to large bedding for the dogs when they come in. Clean, washable, attractive (dark dogs look great against Royal Blue..that idea.) padded and fluffy. A welcome protection for the dog from the hard floors, a nice soft bed that goes through the wash easily. Old quilts, new ones, bath towels, often discarded baby items are just the thing. And please keep on giving, they get used up. Please don't give cats nylon or synthetic items, where the threads might be chewed, or worse, swallowed. They can't be digested, and they can't be spat back up by the cat.

Anna

Thursday 13th of August 2015

I'm planning to organize another blanket and towel drive at our school. It not only benefits the shelter dogs, but also makes the community involved (including kids) and makes people happy to help.

Chelsea Price

My local shelter can always use extra newspaper, paper towels, rags, and supplies like bleach and Windex. I also love spending a day walking shelter dogs - at some shelters, volunteers are the only way they get any human contact and affection, so it really makes a huge difference. My husband and I are pretty involved in transport as well. It's a fun way to get involved if you've got your weekends free. It's usually dogs, but this weekend we are transporting 3 birds - will definitely be a new experience for us! :)

Betty

Tuesday 11th of August 2015

Good post as usual. I donate to the shelter I got Misty from. My neighbor collects old towels and blankets for her favorite shelter.

Lindsay Stordahl

Thank you, Betty!

Jennifer

Excellent ideas. I would add helping out with fundraising. I know our shelter teams up with different businesses and some of the proceeds are given to the shelter. For example, the shelter we foster through has teamed up with WagAware. Also, if the shelter is on the Dogly app you can help it win a $500 or $1,000 grant for most creative photo or most loves for the month.

Thank you. Good ideas.