23 Ways to Help Animals

Without Breaking Your Heart!

By Maryjean Ballner

Have you ever considered volunteering at an animal shelter, but hesitated, expecting the experience would be too sad? Or afraid you'd want to take every cat home? Perhaps you don't have any spare time.

The good news is that volunteering at an animal shelter or helping a rescue group is easier than ever. "Shelters no longer represent the pitiful dog pounds of the past," says Eric Grant, manager of the Volunteer Program of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) in New York City. "Our emphasis is on adoptions, and our volunteers work directly or indirectly with our animals. This enables everyone to participate, especially those who feel emotionally sensitive."

Brian Probst agrees. "Volunteers offer a wide range of skills," says Probst, manager of Volunteer Services at the Peninsula  Humane Society & Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), outside San Francisco. "With two hours a week, you can make a difference. Call the volunteer department of any shelter and ask how."

Volunteers are always needed and truly appreciated. "Most organizations can't function without them," Probst says. "When fully staffed we have 88 full-time employees and more than 500 volunteers."

Options Abound

Every shelter offers unique volunteering opportunities:

·  Office help. Basic office activities: data entry, filing, typing and stuffing envelopes.

·  Web site design. Web sites are often the first place adoptees check for an animal. Your ability to design or maintain a Web site or answer e-mails, is an invaluable service. 

·  Photographer. Captivating photos are crucial in an adoption. To see your work in print, photograph a shelter's events for its newsletter.

·  Fund-raising events. This is usually the most important financial endeavor for any group. "If you've ever arranged a child's party or a formal convention, we need you," says Erin J. Williams, co-planner of the May 2005 fund-raiser for Fix our Ferals, a Berkeley, Calif., spay-neuter group. "We rely completely on volunteers," Williams says. "Calling for donations, coordinating the menus and decorations, suggesting a speaker - we're grateful for anyone who joins us."

·  Cat socializing volunteer. Tender loving caresses keep kitties comfortable. Socializing soothes cats, helping them become more adoptable.

·  Fostering. Fostering provides temporary homes for kittens or cats. As with socializing, you can enjoy feline friendship without long-term commitment.

·  Medical help. Participate in spay-neuter clinics, perform medical tests or administer medications.

·  Public interaction. Assist adoption counselors, help people looking for lost animals, answer phones.

·  Behavior hotline. Specially trained volunteers return hotline calls. This can alleviate problems and prevent owners from relinquishing their pets. For more advanced problems, the caller can be referred to a local behaviorist.

·  Humane education. Visit schools to teach youngsters about proper animal care. "Education is the key," Probst says. "Informed children are better equipped to become responsible pet-owning adults. Educate children about their eventual social responsibility to volunteer as adults."

·  Maintain shelter bulletin board or scrapbook. This demonstrates positive feedback from happy adopters.

·  Shelter newsletter. Share positive shelter activity. There may be an open position for an editor, writer, photographer or proofreader.

·  Telephones. Make follow-up calls to customer surveys or after adoptions to ensure a successful match.

·  Writing. A writer [who can offer] professional services is a gift. Writing grant proposals can be arduous. Smaller groups may not have the resources and expertise to stick through the process, yet grant money represents considerable financial relief. Even sending simple thank-you letters for donations can be a big help.

·  Manual labor. Hard work is welcomed to mend fences, fix cages and maintain shelter property.

Behind the Scenes

Some volunteering doesn't even require your presence at a shelter:

·  Special projects. The ASPCA has a unique opportunity for book-loving volunteers: the Children's Bibliography Project. "Volunteers read and review books that give appropriate and positive messages about animals, which [we] post on our Web site, http://www.aspca.org/," Grant says. 

·  Drivers. Collect donations from businesses or individuals, or drop off newsletters and fliers to local merchants. 

·  Attorneys, paralegal. Legal expertise can save nonprofit organizations expensive fees.

·  Sewing. You can create pet beds and cat toys for shelter animals, or sell them to raise money. If you can't sew, you can cut fabric and pin batting for shelter sewing sessions. 

·  Shelter exhibits. Staff information booths at malls, county fairs and social events.

·  Fliers. Hang fliers around your neighborhood to generate publicity for fund-raising events. 

·  Financial donations. Any amount of cash helps. 
 

·  Thrift shops. Shelters often have an associated thrift store, or an on-site retail store. You can volunteer to work there or donate items for the store to sell.

Although spending time in an animal shelter can be emotionally taxing, the sadness is far outweighed by the knowledge that your actions make improvements. Being happy and useful often walk hand-in-hand. So, whatever your expertise, make that phone call: There's a shelter ready and waiting for you!

reprinted by permission from Cat Fancy Magazine

About the Author

Maryjean Ballner is a New York State LIcensed Massage Therapist, author of "Cat Massage" and "Dog Massage" and video producer of "Your Cat Wants a Massage!" and "Your Dog Wants a Massage!"

Contact Maryjean at

1-877-MEOW-MEOW

1-877-636-9636

maryjean@dogandcatmassage.com