Wondering how you can help people and their pets in your own neighborhood? There are several ways that you can make a meaningful impact on your community. Here are just a few ways to get started:
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Donate pet food to your local food pantry or host your own pet food drive for families in need.
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Considering fostering someone's pet temporarily while they get back on their feet.
Get to know your neighbors and their pets
Getting to know your neighbors can have a huge impact on fostering a sense of community. Introduce yourself to their pets too! When you build meaningful relationships, you open up opportunities to help each other. You can offer to drive your neighbor to veterinary appointments, keep them informed of low-cost vaccine or spay/neuter clinics in the area and pass on supplies that they might need, like leashes or pet food. Some neighbors might even need help with something as simple as brushing or bathing their dog.
Donate to your local pet food pantry
Reach out to your local animal shelter or community food bank to find out if they have a pet food pantry in need of supplies. You can also organize a local pet food drive in your neighborhood to help families in need of pet supplies. You might even have houseless neighbors in your community with furry friends who need support. Find out how you can help feed pets of the homeless.
Volunteer
Volunteering is a great way to offer help to your community! Check with your local animal shelter for volunteer opportunities. You can also volunteer at a local spay/neuter or vaccine clinic, which tend to be busy events where help is needed. Our Pets for Life and Rural Area Veterinary Services programs also offer volunteer opportunities throughout the year.
Become a short-term foster for a pet in need
Many shelters offer temporary foster programs for families who fall on hard times and cannot provide care for their pets. The last thing these families need to worry about is what will happen to their beloved pet while they try to get back on their feet. Ask your local animal shelter and homeless shelter if they have any surrender-prevention programs that provide short-term fostering of pets for these families. You'll provide comfort to a family, letting them know their furry family member is in good hands.
Advocate for keeping families together
Your voice and your vote can make a big impact for all animals. Your elected officials may not know what your community needs. As a voter, your opinions matter to the people who represent you. That's why it's so important for all of us to be advocates for animals. One way to do this is to become a Humane Ally. As a Humane Ally, you'll work with other advocates in your state to help pass animal-friendly legislation. Our volunteers are essential partners in our lifesaving work for all animals and are an integral part of this community of compassionate individuals, all of whom are deeply committed to advancing humane public policies for all animals.
Our public service awareness campaign, Pets and People Together, provides more ways you can help keep pets with their families in your community. We're proud to partner with Maddie's Fund and the Ad Council to inspire millions of Americans to be a Helper.
