Are you looking for ways to give back to your community this year? Maybe you want to make a difference for animals in need. Maybe you’ve been thinking about fostering or adopting a dog. No matter the reason, if you’re wondering how to help animal shelters, there are plenty of ways to support them and the dogs waiting for their forever homes.
Here are 10 impactful ideas to support shelter dogs this year and in the future.
1. Volunteer to Spend Time with Dogs
Animal shelters always need extra hands. Whether it’s walking dogs, giving them social time, or helping with cleaning and feeding, your time can make those dogs feel loved. It’s also a great family activity. If your local shelters or agencies allow family volunteering, you can teach your kids about responsibility and potentially scope out a new furry family member. To find out how to volunteer, first search local shelters in your area and find their volunteer page. It’s typically an easy process as long as it aligns with your schedule.
2. Foster or Adopt
Adopting a dog is a big commitment—a life commitment. If you’re not entirely set on adopting a dog yet, fostering is a great option when exploring how to help animal shelters without a lifelong commitment. It provides a temporary home for dogs and frees up space for other homeless dogs to take their place. Whether adopting or fostering, you will still need to prepare for your furry friend’s stay. It’s important to consider what type of dog fits your home environment, how to acclimate them to other pets or children, what pet care necessities you will need and more.
3. Sponsor a Dog & Receive Updates
Sponsoring a dog is a meaningful way to contribute when you can’t adopt. Many shelters allow you to donate toward a specific dog’s care, covering medical expenses, food and shelter. Some programs even send you updates and photos of the dog you’re helping! While sponsoring doesn’t guarantee you can adopt the dog, you still have the opportunity to choose a dog whose story resonates with you or reminds you of a beloved pet. And if adopting them becomes an opportunity for you, then even better. Find sponsor opportunities by searching “sponsor an animal near me.”
4. Create a Fundraiser for Your Birthday
Instead of gifts this year, ask your friends and family to donate to a local animal shelter in your name. Facebook makes it easy to set up a birthday fundraiser, giving you the option every year on your upcoming day. Or, you can create one through the shelter’s website (once you find out if it’s possible by reaching out). Every dollar can help provide medical care, food and shelter at the charity you choose to support.
5. Follow and Share Local Shelters’ Posts
Not everyone can adopt, but everyone can help spread the word! A small but mighty way to help animal shelters is by following their social media and liking and sharing their posts with a few words about the animal you’re posting. This significantly helps the chances of dogs find their forever homes—it may even be the reason someone takes the step to foster or adopt when they were on the fence.
6.Donate Pet Care Supplies
Animal shelters are always in need of supplies. Before throwing out old pet items, check if they can be donated. Commonly needed items include:
- Creates, kennels, and exercise pens
- Collars, leashes, and harnesses
- Gently used toys
- Unopened and unexpired food, treats, and pill pockets
- Food and water dishes
- Pet safe shampoo
- Blankets, sheets, bedspreads, and towels
Tip: Wash any used items before donating, and make sure food and treats are unopened and unexpired.
7. Host a Pet Food Drive
Dog food is one of the biggest expenses for shelters. Organizing a pet food drive is a great way to rally your community and support local animals in need. Schools, workplaces and community centers that are central to daily commutes make for great locations for drive set-ups or collection boxes. Local shelters and agencies may also want to get involved by tabling with brochures about pet homelessness, pets that are currently up for adoption and other community resources available to animals.
8. Join or Organize a Charity Walk
All paws out for a good cause! Many organizations host dog walkathons or 5K runs where proceeds go toward shelter animals. Consider participating in a local event or organizing one in your community to support rescues, provide medical care and help pets find their forever homes. It’s a fun way to get active with your own pup while making a difference! Check with local shelters or animal welfare groups to see how you can get involved.
9. Set Up a Donation Box at Work
Encourage your coworkers to learn how to help animal shelters by setting up a donation box at work and making giving back a team effort. You can even make it fun with a little friendly workplace competition—whoever donates gets entered into a raffle that will be held at the end of the donation period. Collected items can span from blankets to pet food to monetary donations for a local shelter.
10. Become a Florida Animal Friend
If you live in Florida, supporting shelter dogs is as easy as choosing a Florida Animal Friend specialty license plate. The extra $25 on your tag renewal goes directly toward grants that fund low-cost and free spay/neuter programs. These programs help control pet overpopulation, keep homeless animals healthy and reduce the burden on shelters. Here’s a guide to spay and neuter programs across the state (and some of the shelters we’ve supported).
Every action, big or small, helps make life better for shelter dogs. Which of these will you be trying this year?