4 Ways to Volunteer

Seeing images of stray or caged dogs and cats often leaves people feeling heartbroken and helpless. Fortunately for pets, there’s a lot you can do to turn these types of situations around. Monetary donations are essential for most shelters or private pet-assistance organizations, and even a few dollars can make a difference in meeting the array of pets’ needs. However, the backbone of most charitable pet organizations is the dedicated volunteers who channel their passion to care for dogs and cats in need. Here are some ideas for how you can be one of these people, regardless of whether you have just a few hours to give or are able to make a larger commitment.

Providing a Foster Home
The Fuzzy Pet Foundation (TFPF) in Santa Monica, Calif., is known for taking in older dogs and cats, as well as those with special needs. Pets hit by cars, those missing limbs, and paralyzed pets often find refuge in the arms of TFPF volunteers who provide foster homes. Placing cats or dogs in foster care provides an excellent opportunity to assess the pets’ temperaments and learn information that’s critical to placing them in lasting homes. Oftentimes, a foster family receives assistance from the rescue group in the way of supplies and veterinary care, if necessary. So fostering pets is an excellent way to offer a loving reprieve for cats and dogs without making a large financial commitment.

Socializing Dogs
Dogs with all types of backgrounds arrive in rescue shelters. They may need a home because their owners’ marriage ended in divorce or because they were cooped up in an overcrowded puppy mill. These dogs may need to be socialized in different ways depending on their experiences, but the goal is the same: make them adoptable long term.

Some rescue dogs are coping with physical and emotional damage. Patient volunteers can provide opportunities for these dogs to learn to trust, receive a loving touch, and be prepared to interact well with other pets and people. Excellent facilities, such as Hearts United for Animals (HUA) in Auburn, Neb., enlist volunteers to take dogs for walks or spend time in secured areas where some dogs are learning the joy of playing for the first time.

Consistently coming into contact with people who offer unconditional love allows traumatized dogs to blossom and be ready for a home. “Bringing about such transformations in these dogs is, I think, the most important, rewarding, and thrilling thing we can do as volunteers in a dog shelter,” says Laurie Collingham, a long-standing HUA volunteer.

Feeding Hungry Pets
Pet food banks are opening across the country to heed the call of families challenged by harsh financial times. One such pet food bank is PAX: Peace for Animals, which serves pet owners in Northeast Ohio. In the realm of an established food bank for people, PAX has created a place where families can get free pet food, supplies, and referrals for additional social services as needed.

Pet food banks like PAX are looking for volunteers with a wide range of skills. For example, if you’re artistic, you could donate your time to design fliers that promote a fundraising event. Not your forte? Maybe you’d rather make phone calls to secure sponsors that provide the food bank with goods. Or maybe you’d like to network within the community. Or you could simply donate cat or dog food.

All these are important and appreciated ways to assist the vital efforts of a local or regional pet food bank. “Volunteering at a pet food bank is a unique opportunity that helps people and allows pets to stay in their homes where they are loved,” says Heather McNally Milko, PAX founder and president of the board.

Donating Cast-offs
You can help many pets simply by giving clean, old blankets and newspapers to local animal rescue organizations. Your own veterinary clinic might even accept blankets and towels as a way to offer extra comfort to cats and dogs that are being hospitalized.

This idea, in addition to the others offered here, are just a few suggestions of satisfying, impactful ways to assist the tireless efforts of people who are committed to improving the lives of animals. Remember that no gesture is too small when it’s made in an effort to help cats and dogs—and remember that you’ll gain far more than you give.

How to Find Volunteer Opportunities

• Ask the team members at your veterinary clinic if they know of reputable animal shelters and rescue groups in your area. Some veterinary hospitals even partner with local shelters to provide care for pets in need of homes.
• Search the Internet for pet-assistance groups in your area.
• Watch social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter for updates from local pet-assistance organizations. They often post information about events and pets looking for homes.
• Talk to friends and family about a desire to volunteer. This often leads to excellent referrals.