by Nancy Hassel, ThisFurryLife.com
It’s no doubt that one of the highlights that have come out of 2020 and the pandemic is the amount of pets that have been adopted by the many people who have found themselves working from home. Many people realized how much they needed a pet and companion in their lives, especially due to be quarantined and have showed up to foster, adopt and add to their clan of pets as well.
This week, November 4 – 10, 2020, is National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week, and there are many ways you can give back to make the animals lives better, and help the staff and volunteers as well. So, what Animal Shelter are you appreciating this week?
Here are some things you can do for the shelter staff and animals:
- Help with spreading the word of a specific pet that is for adoption. Even if you did this one or two times a week on your social media platforms, you may just help that homeless pet find a home.
- Organize a donation drive for your local animal shelter – ask them what they need, if they have a wish list, and get your friends, family, neighbors, and your business involved.
- Volunteer at the animal shelter. Not everyone has to walk a dog, but use your skills or area of expertise that the shelter may be desperately needed. (Social media person, website person,)
- Take photos. If you are a professional or good photographer, volunteer to take beautiful pictures to help get the homeless animals adopted. While our iPhones and Droid’s take great pictures, nothing beats the look of a professional photo – and it may be that one photo that helps get that pet adopted.
- Foster. If you can foster a pet, it can make the world of difference in getting that pet into a forever home faster.
- Adopt. Of course, you knew I was going to say that right? Adopt! Adopt! Adopt! And open your hear to a senior dog, get to know a dog’s personality and don’t say we don’t want that dog because of their breed, go in with an open heart and mind.
- Donate money to your local non-profit animal shelter. While many non-profit animal rescues rely heavily on money brought in from events, this year their events have been postponed, canceled or gone virtual – and the donations have not been the same this year. So if donate what you can, get your friends, family and company involved in donating to a local shelter or non-profit so they can continue to help the animals housed there.
And a big thank you to all the staff and volunteers who work so tirelessly at shelters across the country – we know how difficult this year has been and we so appreciate you!