Volunteering to help animals

By Lori Mohr
Copyright by Lori Mohr. Used with permission.

Okay, so you realize you'd be a total dud as a foster parent (simply because you'd keep them all!), and you really don't feel comfortable interviewing people at adoptions. Maybe your budget is a little tight, and you just can't donate as much as you would like. Maybe you love animals but are allergic or afraid to spend time in a shelter lest you "fall in love." Can you still do something to help? You'd better believe it!

Here are just some of the things you can do:

• Photograph the adoptables for press releases, special promotions and adoption boards.
• Writers can lend their talents to newsletters and magazines, as well as proof read other text.
• Computer experts can help with programming.
• General building and maintenance folks can help beautify and spruce up the shelter.
• Be an adoption volunteer to counsel and screen potential adopters and match adoptable animals with loving homes (requires hands-on training).
• Dog trainers are worth their weight in gold, because they teach an otherwise rambunctious dog some good manners so he has a better chance of being adopted.
• Clerical volunteers can help with lots of office work: data entry, filing, typing, photocopying, addressing invitations, mailing out educational materials to schools, etc.
• Drivers can provide transportation for long-distance adoptions.
• Call or visit animal shelters and local all-breed rescues and talk to them about dog/cat rescue resources on the Internet.
• Serve as a contact for these shelters and rescues to get information onto rescue web sites on the Internet.
• Send press releases to local papers to inform the public about the availability of rescue dogs/cats.
• Mail informative fliers or newsletters to local shelters and rescue groups.

You can also help with fund-raisers by:

• Organizing prize donations
• Passing out information
• Designing brochures and fliers
• Making signs
• Stuffing envelopes
• Hauling and/or storing donated items
• Making items for the fund-raiser
• Staff booths

Kids and teens can get involved too!

• Have bake sale or lemonade stand.
• Buy food or supplies with a portion of your babysitting earnings.
• Mow a few extra lawns and donate that money to the shelter.
• Walk the elderly neighbor's dog or change the cat's litter box.