FamilyCares Puppy (and Kitty!) Love

Animals are good for people and people can be good to animals, but unfortunately, there are just not enough people to offer all the available animals a loving home. Every year, between six and eight million dogs and cats are placed in animal shelters because their owners died, moved away, or just couldn't take care of them anymore.

When children first come across shelter animals, they usually want to take home every pet they see! Obviously, this isn't practical, but consider this: the animals that get adopted from shelters are often the healthiest, the friendliest or the most playful. If your family wants to lend a helping hand to shelter animals but can't consider taking one home, there are lots of things you can do to help make these pets' lives a little brighter, and help turn them into perfect candidates for adoption.

Steps Involved

Contact your local shelter or Humane Society to find out about their volunteering requirements. Age limits vary from shelter to shelter, so if your children are under age 12, you should check and see how they'll be able to help.
Talk with your children about how they'd like to help. The following are some of the most common tasks that volunteers at animal shelters perform:
- Animal Caregivers help feed and bathe the animals, and make sure their living environments are clean. This could involve sweeping out cages, putting down fresh newspapers or emptying litter boxes.
- Animal Socialization helps get pets comfortable with human contact. Basic training and obedience can be involved; also, taking a dog for a walk or simply letting a cat sleep in your lap helps with socialization.
- Information Guides interact with visitors to the shelter. They can help keep both visitors and animals safe by following the rules.
- Outreach volunteers help take animals into the community, usually dogs and cats, wearing “Adopt me!” vests. The animals get to interact with new people, and perhaps even find someone to go home with.
Consider what your family can do outside the shelter if your family cannot volunteer inside, due to age requirements or your own comfort level. Here are some common tasks that volunteers perform outside of the animal shelter:
- Adoption Follow-Up volunteers contact the new homes of recently adopted pets to see how the animals and their new families are getting along. Also, they ask about the new owners' experiences with the shelter, so that the shelter can improve the way it operates.
- Transportation volunteers help bring pets from the shelter to the vet's office and back again. A car and some training may be all you need to help keep these animals healthy.
- Setting-Up volunteers help behind the scenes when outreach volunteers and staff bring animals out to the community. They set up folding tables and chairs, put together informational packets and make sure that the animals have food and water.
Consider collecting in-kind donations or fundraising.
- Ask your supermarket if you could collect dog and cat food for a day. Make posters and flyers telling shoppers about your local shelter's needs.
- Organize a collection in your neighborhood, school or faith-based institution. The items that shelters need most include cat and dog food, washable plastic pet carriers, old towels and blankets, newspapers and paper towels.
- Fundraise — tag sales, lemonade stands and bottle collections are relatively easy family fundraisers. Donate the proceeds to the shelter of your choice. Again, make posters and flyers educating your community about the needs of shelter animals.

Your family doesn't have to adopt a pet to help an animal in need. Even if you only have a few hours, there are a wide variety of volunteer opportunities for your family to bring your puppy and kitty love to your neighborhood animal shelter or Humane Society. Whether you come to a shelter with a big bag full of supplies or just a warm lap and a hand ready to pet, the dogs and cats of your local shelter will thank you.

Books

Clements, Andrew. Ringo Saves the Day! A True Story.

Based on actual events, the book follows the story of Ringo, a little orange cat adopted from a nursing home. Ringo's more than just a loyal pet…he alerts his owners to a dangerous situation in their backyard, and ultimately saves his owners' lives.

Heyman, Anita. Gretchen the Bicycle Dog.

Gretchen the dachshund lived much of her life just like any other dog — until one day when she suffered a spinal cord injury and lost the use of her hind legs. Even though she was no longer able to walk normally, persistence (and a wheelchair, supplied by her loving owners) kept Gretchen active and happy.

Kehret, Peg . Shelter Dogs: Amazing Stories of Adopted Strays.

This book tells the amazing true stories of eight former shelter dogs adopted in Seattle, Washington. Even though they were abandoned by their previous owners, they all found happiness with their new owners — and discovered their own special talents, from saving lives to predicting seizures.

If your children want to keep learning about shelter pets, here are nearly twenty stories about animals that have done amazing things. All of these books are available on Amazon.com.

Between Pets and People: The Importance of Animal Companionship
Beck, A., Katcher, A. Thomas, E.

Ten True Animal Rescues
Betancourt, Jeanne

Volunteering with Your Pet: How to Get Involved in Animal-Assisted Therapy with Any Kind of Pet
Burch, Mary

Chicken Soup for the Cat & Dog Lover's Soul
Canfield, J., Hansen, M., Becker, M., Kline, C.

Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others
Davis, Kathy

The Bravest Cat! The True Story of Scarlett
Driscoll, Laura

Animals to the Rescue: True Stories of Animal Heroes
Farran, Christopher

Good Dog
Gottfried, M., Zakanich, R.R.

Chicken Soup for Little Souls: A Dog of My Own
McCourt, Lisa, Canfield, J.

Buddy, The First Seeing Eye Dog
Moore, Eva

How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend: A Training Manual for Dog Owners
New Skete Monks, Sherlock, Helen

The Wolfling
North, Sterling

Saved: A Guide to Success With Your Shelter Dog
Paupurt, M, Paupert, M.L.

Puppy Preschool: Raising Your Puppy Right-Right from the Start!
Ross, John, McKinney, Barbara

Cat Heaven
Rylant, Cynthia

Dog Heaven
Rylant, Cynthia

The Bravest Dog Ever: the True Story of Balto
Standiford, Natalie

True Tales of Animal Heroes
Zullo, Allan

Shelter Dogs
Peg Kehret