The Problem:

“Adopt, Don’t Shop!” You’ve probably heard the phrase or at least seen it floating around on social media, right? And you get it – adopt shelter pets instead of shopping at pet stores. But, why exactly do we need to do that? Well, there are a number of reasons, but we’re going to stick with just one today. The biggest problem is that the United States is killing 1.5 – 2 million cats and dogs each year because they have no place to call home. Yes, you read that right – millions of cats and dogs per year. And that estimate is at the low end according to some experts, but even so we’re still talking about 5,500 animals per day. (Sources here and here.)

Not so fun fact: Kittens are one of the most euthanized populations because of how much care they require. (Source) A mother cat who gives birth to kittens will have slightly better odds as long as she takes care of them. But, motherless kittens are often brought into shelters and they need to be bottle-fed around the clock, cleaned and cared for at a level that many shelters and rescues cannot provide.

You should know: Pet rescue isn’t limited to dogs and cats. They are the most popular, but you can also find rabbits, horses, ducks, ferrets and more awaiting forever homes.

Okay, so what can we do? The good news is that there is plenty we can do to help shelter pets! Let’s start small and work our way up.

 

HERE’S YOUR 2 MINUTE ACTION PLAN:

Click for good. Start by visiting The Animal Rescue Site and click on the big purple button. You just helped feed shelter pets! Don’t underestimate this – last year visitor clicks funded the value of 56 million bowls of food.

Bonus: Another way to use your mouse for good is to visit Petfinder and plug in your zip code to find a local animal rescue/shelter near you. Follow them on Facebook and share their posts. Liking and commenting is great, but it’s sharing that actually gets them in front of new people.

Stay tuned for more Action Plans this week!

 

The Giving Back Society | Making it easier for busy people with big hearts to make a difference.