@suzanagartner
The holiday season is fast approaching! While many of us have a loving family to spend time with this holiday season, many animals do not. Countless homeless dogs and cats will spend this year’s season alone without a loving family to show their appreciation. However, we are all here to help! Even if you cannot bring a pet home this holiday season, there are many ways you can help make a homeless cat and dog happy!
- Donate your used toys to your local animal shelter. By contacting your local animal shelter, you can discover that shelters have their very own Santa wish list. By providing them with minimally-worn used dog and cat toys, you can provide a gift for a homeless dog or cat for their favorite toy for the holidays. Some shelters might be in need of food and water bowls, play toys, collars, leashes, beds, and pet hygiene tools and grooming brushes. You can contact your local shelter to find out ways to donate items. Some shelters have wish lists online. Please check.
- Donate Essentials! Animal rescue organizations and animal shelters go through pet food very quickly! You can make a big difference with a small donation by providing a bag of pet food upon checking with them first. By purchasing wet or dry dog or cat food or even a bag of treats, you can provide many homeless animals with several meals over the holiday season.
- Volunteer. If you’re running low on cash after spending all your money on gifts for your family and friends, there are still many other ways to help! The most impactful way of helping homeless animals is by volunteering your time to organizations that need the help most. Many rescue organizations are currently looking for help from animal lovers to help with cleaning and caring for animals in their care. For instance, becoming a dog walker or cat groomer can help ease the dogs or cats’ anxiety at the shelter and helps them to bond with a loving human. By contacting your local animal shelter, you can become a volunteer at a moment’s notice.
- Social Media! By simply sharing photos of homeless dogs and cats on social media, you can make an impact. A simple share can be the difference between life and death for many homeless animals that are not going to be adopted. By sharing a picture and story on your social media accounts, i.e. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, you can increase the chances of saving homeless animals’ lives.
- Shop for a Shelter. If you do not have any used items to donate to shelters but want to contribute and help provide homeless animals with holiday gifts, by calling your local shelters you can find out what they need most. By buying a gift-wrapped toy for a homeless pet, you can make their holiday season festive as well!
- Bring a pet home for the holidays! If your entire family wants a pet for the holidays, you can make the ultimate gift for an animal in need by giving them a loving home. Please remember that adopting an animal should be a lifelong commitment for that dog or cat, and their life depends on it and this is a very serious responsibility. Animals are not disposable items and should not be treated like merchandise to be returned. That being said, if your family is serious about adopting an animal please go to your local rescue or shelter. By doing so, you can bring home a loving furry friend into your home and you will in return receive unconditional love.
As you can see, even if you are unable to adopt a pet into your family at this time, there are many other ways you can help homeless animals during the holidays. No matter which option or options you choose to take to consider, you can make a difference in their lives by simply getting involved and dedicating some time for homeless animals. I was a volunteer dog walker and used to visit my local municipal animal shelter and I played with the cats. Some people would ask how I could volunteer at a shelter and not adopt the dogs. I told them that I found this experience meaningful, gratifying and I knew that I was helping to make a small difference to homeless dogs. Together, we can make a difference and help homeless animals during their holidays to have another chance to live! Help spread the words to others #adoptdon’tshop