October is Adopt a Shelter Pet Month.  Not all of us are in a position to adopt a pet, but how about if we “adopt a shelter”.  Because of the economy, many people are having to surrender pets that they can’t take care of to local shelters.  This adds an additional burden on many organizations that are already struggling financially.  Of course, they always welcome monetary donations, but there many other ways that you can help.  



Tips for the Month: “Adopt a Shelter”



1- Donate Pet Food. You can help shelters by helping people before they have to give up their pets.  Our church has  supported a Community Food Pantry.  I had never thought before about donating pet food.        That will be so easy to do.



2-  Consider your gifts and talents, or your occupation.  What could you donate?  If you are a        carpenter, perhaps you could build or repair dog houses.  If you have a business,  donate business supplies. Have on-line expertise? - help with the shelter’s website. Like to sew or knit?- find out what the shelter uses for blankets.  Own a van ?- offer it for transporting pets to an adoption event or supplies to a fund raiser. Involved with a group? - from kids to seniors - get them involved.

3- Different states have different recycle opportunities.   Our local shelter has a bin where people can drop off soft drink bottles to be turned in for a nickel redemption.  Every nickel helps.  Ink jet printer and toner cartridges can be recycled.  Perhaps you could set up collection centers at local stores and take the responsibility for either delivering the items to the shelter or directly to a recycle center.

4- Help organize a fund raising project. Design a graphic logo for T-shirts, etc.  These can be sold at events or on-line.  Collect recipes for a cookbook - be sure to include “doggie” recipes.  Again, these can be sold at events or on-line.  Get a photographer to create pet portraits, with proceeds going to the shelter. Collect donations of almost anything to be auctioned at events.



Contact your local shelter and see what other ideas and needs they have.  Anything you can do to   help the shelter will allow them to help care for animals who cannot help themselves.  



 

 Additional tips will be added each week of October.

Below is a series of emails received from a member of The Sensible Dog, who is very concerned about the situation of people having to give up their pets.  Please contact us if you have any ideas, or if you are aware  of any programs (locally or nationally) which are addressing this issues.  I completely agree with Alberta,  that times of stress and hardship are the very  times when our pets can  provide the most comfort.

Email 1 -  How sad so many must turn in their dogs to shelters due to income circumstances. I want to know  - if people can donate money to adopt a shelter to help them with food,  why can't we find a way to help owners in our towns. To donate food for their dog or dogs and pay for their annual shots (if due),  to let these people keep their dogs? People who loose jobs need their dogs home more then than ever, not add to the stress to have to give up their dogs. Or give these people  rides to groomer or vets if they can't drive. Rentals need to let up on "no pets" more now and allow pets for people moving due to forclosures or whatever, by the owner of properties and let these dogs move in with their families.

Email 2- Yes, you may put this on our website. I have been trying to think how this can even start. So far I have come up with at the source, the shelters, that they, in their screening as to why giving up dog or cat and if the reasons are anyone of these : Loss of Job, Forclosure and forced to move, on Fixed Income as in SSI or low SocialSecurity, with proof as on or was on and ran out Unemployment pay, Home Forclosed on, or updatd proof of disability or SS income letter. If any of these are the reason dog or cat  is taken to shelter then they will be informed who to contact in their area to get free dog or cat food, etc. as needed to keep pet. Plus at the time of this, the shelter gives them some food to take with them. Also illness of owner can cause the need for outside help even tho it maybe temporay. This is all I can think of so far. Local Newspaper notice and number to call to the actual local resource groups maybe but owners need to again show proofs to them too.

Email 3 -   Another idea came to me that would work after the resource group and number is set up in the local communities. I have seen on notice boards at unemployment office where there was one for low income child care help. Why can't a notice about if one had a dog or cat and circumstances are they giving it up at shelter but quailfy for assistence to keep pet instead if -and list the quaifications needed to qualify as in my previous email listed. This will catch those fileing for unemployment directly. Hopefully others out there good at organizing these things can come up with how to set up resource center in local areas. There maybe local dog clubs that could put on Agility demos to raise money for their local resouce centers too. Like to pay for shots due and owner can't pay that year due to one of these circumstances.

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