I have been involved in animal rescue for over 8 years now. Volunteering, fostering, donation coordination – I’ve done it all. My passion is for rescue animals and the rights of those who can’t speak. I preach the phrase “adopt, don’t shop” because shelters are overcrowded and irresponsible breeding is running rampant. All of my animals are rescues, and it will always be that way.
Arizona shelters are flooded with Chihuahuas and pit bull mixes. It’s so unfortunate. Helpless dogs are being killed everyday because there are no resources or space to keep them alive. Sometimes rescue groups will come in to save dogs and cats off the euthanasia list but it’s still not enough to save the millions of dogs who get put down every year.
Wynston, Khloee, Joey and Sadie are all rescues. Wynston is a puppy mill survivor. Khloee was abandoned at a boarding facility. Joey was a stray (how he got around on the streets with his disability, I don’t even want to think about it). Sadie came from a hoarding situation. Even my guinea pigs were rescues.
If you’re looking to possibly add a new furry friend to your family, save a life by adopting a pet from a shelter this month! October is Adopt a Shelter Pet Month! Many rescues and shelters have programs that give you free food and coupons for pet supplies when you adopt a new pet. One partner who participates is Hill’s Science Diet with the Food, Shelter & Love program. Even big box stores like PetSmart have rescue groups that adopt out animals from the stores and they provide great coupon packages! Remember that if you adopt an animal from a shelter, you are saving it’s life. Some dogs and cats won’t even live for a week if brought to a shelter.
Check out these statistics. This great infographic is courtesy of BlogPaws!
Not ready to adopt a new pet? Here are some ways you can help save lives:
- Foster: When you foster an animal, you keep them safe and give them love in your home until they can find a furever family! Fostering saves lives because it takes one animal out of a shelter and makes room for a new one to get adopted.
- Donate: All animal shelters are in need of donations. There will never be enough money to save all of the dogs and cats in the world, but we can darn near try. Monetary donations go toward supplies to keep shelters running, food and items for the animals and improvements toward facilities (which many desperately need!). You can also donate items like blankets, towels, food, treats and toys. Shelters will take anything you have! With cold weather right around the corner, blankets will help keep animals warm as opposed to sleeping on the cold concrete.
- Volunteer: Shelters always need volunteers. There are many jobs that volunteers can do including playing with the animals, reading to them, taking them on walks, adoption counseling, cleaning, etc. When shelters are short on staff, it makes everything much more stressful which can lead to unfortunate circumstances for the dogs and cats.
- Spay and neuter: I don’t think there is an excuse for not fixing your dog. I hear the argument “Well I never let them run loose! I always know what they are doing! They are always in my care, there’s no way she could get pregnant!” Oh yeah? What if your pet runs away or gets lost? What if there is a tragedy and your pet ends up in a shelter? It’s very easy for a female dog or cat to get pregnant and they can have litters frequently. Unplanned pregnancies lead to more kills in shelters every year. If you have a lot of feral cats in your neighborhood, you can also safely capture them and take them in to get spayed and neutered. Of course you can release the cat after the operation. Many veterinarians offer low cost spay and neuters, you just need to search “low cost spay and neuter clinics” in your area. You are saving lives by doing this!
- Spread the word: By simply spreading awareness about shelter animals and the help they need, you can save a life. Many people don’t realize how desperate the rescue situation in this country. Social media has gotten many animals adopted, who may have otherwise died in a shelter. Let’s keep sharing!!!
- Don’t buy pets: If you buy a dog from a pet store, you are supporting puppy mills. Period. The store may claim they come from “responsible breeders” but it’s all lies. All. Lies. As my friend Lara at Rubicon Days so correctly puts it, “puppies for sale, mother’s in jail!” Arizona has permanently shut down all pet stores and turned them into adoption facilities. The sale of dogs and cats is now longer legal here!
A shelter pet is euthanized every 11 seconds. Can you help change that? What can you do to help homeless animals and save lives?!
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Talent Hounds says
Great info! If more people were responsible pet owners maybe this wouldn’t be such an issue. It takes the spread of information like this to make a difference. Thank you!
Amanda says
I agree. It’s so sad but we just have to keep spreading the word and educating people!