If you’re looking for ways to give back to your community, animal shelters and rescues are always in need of volunteers, fosters, adopters, fundraisers, and donors. While these organizations work tirelessly to provide shelter, food, and medical care for animals in need, they often operate on limited resources. As a member of your community, you have the power to make a significant impact by supporting your local shelter in a variety of ways.
There are many ways to get involved and put your passion for cats to good use. Here are a few ways you can help a local animal shelter or rescue and contribute to the well-being of the animals in their care.
Volunteer
Volunteers are critical to the success of many nonprofits and volunteers can help with so many tasks ranging from transporting animals to and from the vet or off-site adoption events, providing administrative support, taking photos or videos of adoptable animals, or promoting the organization at fundraisers or adoption events. Engaging with the public, talking about the organization’s mission, and raising awareness for the cause is a great way to gain more support. Socializing cats, particularly the timid ones, so they become more highly adoptable is much appreciated by shelters and rescues. Having someone just sit with the cats and give them attention goes a long way toward helping them find a forever home. Feeding, grooming, and cleaning litter boxes are other potential ways you can donate your time to animals in need. Conducting adoption interviews, usually over the phone or Zoom, is another great way to give back. Interviews can take about 30 minutes and in order to avoid a backlog of potential adopters, rescues love having trained volunteers willing and able to make some calls.
Foster
Fostering is a great way to care for a cat, get to know them, give them time outside of a cage, and help them find the best forever home. Most rescues and shelters have limited space, so housing a cat in a foster home opens up a cage and gives them the availability to save another cat. You can foster underage kittens that need round-the-clock care, animals recovering from surgery or illness, seniors or hospice cats looking for a quiet space to rest, timid cats wary of humans, or happy, healthy cats with nowhere else to go. If you have the time and space, fostering a cat is a wonderful way to contribute.
Donate
Donations are always much needed and appreciated by shelters and rescues alike. Monetary donations are incredibly impactful and can help with providing food and medical care to cats while they await adoption. Many rescues and shelters also accept in-kind donations like food, litter and litter boxes, toys, blankets and towels, and cleaning supplies.
Becoming a monthly donor or sponsoring a certain animal is encouraged as it helps the rescue or shelter plan for upcoming expenses. Many rescues rely on monthly donors to provide ongoing care to their animals. Monthly donors usually get a little bonus like a postcard or routine updates on their sponsored animals as a thank you.
Fundraise
Fundraising helps to raise a lot of money and awareness for an organization and their mission. Hosting an event like a charity walk, silent auction, donation drive, or pet photo session can be a fun and beneficial way to raise money for a great cause. Sharing and promoting existing fundraisers on social media is a quick and easy way to help too!
Adopt
If you’re looking for a new furry friend to love, adopting from a rescue or shelter and giving an animal in need a wonderful new home is ideal. You’ll be giving your new cat a loving forever family and freeing up a cage or a foster home for another cat in need.
Advocate
Advocate for animal rights in order to make a bigger difference in the lives of animals near and far. You can educate people about the importance of adopting from a shelter or rescue, spaying and neutering their pets, or TNR-ing community cats. You can advocate for better conditions in city shelters, a ban on the declawing of cats, or ending the existence of puppy mills. A lot of people don’t know about animal rights issues and the more they learn and understand, the better the world will be for animals.
If you’re looking to make a difference in the lives of cats near you, consider volunteering, fostering, donating, or adopting. Contact your local shelter or rescue today to find out how you can help. They’ll be happy to have you join their team!
Love, Nala
