It is no secret that animal shelters are always looking for volunteers, supplies, and animal lovers to adopt. If you cannot adopt, but your heart is still pulled to help these precious animals, it can be hard to figure out just how to do so. You can dedicate as much or little time and money as you have available to share; these shelters will be forever grateful. You aren’t just helping a shelter, you are helping to save animals’ lives.

Helping Shelter Animals Without Adopting

Dog Walking

Shelters are commonly short on human to animal ratios. There aren’t enough hours in a day to walk and play with every dog that is living at the shelter, but every dog deserves some outside time. You can bring your own leash or just show up empty handed! Contact your local shelter to find out the times and days that dog walkers are needed and go get some exercise!

Social Media Networking

Today’s society lives through social media, and this includes fur babies. Shelters are in need of volunteers and friends to spread the word about whatever may be happening. Animals have a better chance of being adopted when people know there are animals available. You can volunteer to take pictures and post them to their social sites, or you can simply share everything that needs shared.

Shuttle an Animal

Adopted animals sometimes need to be driven hours away to their forever homes. No one pays for them to be flown or taxi’d, a volunteer is responsible to get them where they need to go.

Donate

Donate old sheets, blankets, and pillows for the animals to sleep on at the shelter. They are also in need of old leashes, collars, and dog beds. You can organize a collection through your neighborhood and bring it all in.

Read Out Loud

Therapy dogs help humans every day, but animals need company and therapy, too. Grab a book and pull up a folding chair, and you can spend a few hours reading out loud to the animals.

Foster

If you aren’t in the right moment for a forever pet, you may be able to foster, instead. It is a large commitment, but one that will save an animal’s life.

You can also just pick up the phone and call your local shelter. They may have a list of possibilities for you to help with! They may need kennels cleaned, walls painted, or a few extra treats delivered. You can help without adopting, so don’t be afraid to step up.