When you’re prepared to offer a dog a loving, lifelong home, start your search at an animal shelter. Look at local shelters—or national ones if you’re seeking a specific type of dog. I implore you: choose the dogs who need you the most—the longest residents, black dogs, large breeds, seniors, and those needing extra medical care. These dogs are often the last to be adopted. Please take a chance on them. In return, you’ll receive unwavering loyalty, eternal gratitude and unconditional love.
Did you know there is a rescue organization for nearly every dog breed imaginable? Lab, Havanese, Poodle, Husky, Golden Retriever—you name it. If you’re ready to give a furry best friend a forever home, please consider beginning your search at a rescue organization and saving a precious, deserving life.
They are both ways to save a precious life and an optimal way to welcome a new furry family member into your home. Adopting means bringing a dog home directly from a shelter, while rescuing means the dog has been taken out of the shelter system by a rescue organization, received medical care, and spent time in a nurturing foster home environment before being ready for adoption.
Did you know that fostering is free? If you’re not quite ready for the lifelong commitment of adopting a dog, consider partnering with a 501(c)(3) rescue organization or local shelter to foster. You open your home and provide love, care, and comfort to a deserving dog in need, and rescues supply you with everything you need. From medical care and food to crates, training, and support—the rescue will be with you every step of the way until the dog is adopted into their forever home.
Fostering is imperative to combating the shelter crisis. Taking a dog out of the stressful shelter environment allows them to decompress and experience love and stability in a nurturing home, while freeing up critically needed kennel space for additional shelter intakes.
Volunteers are the lifeline for shelter pets. With shelters overwhelmed, dogs in these high-stress environments often go without the daily walks, socialization, and enrichment they desperately need. By volunteering at your local shelter, you can make a world of difference—walking dogs, organizing supplies, facilitating meet-and-greets, supporting adoption events, and more. Your time and compassion can transform a shelter dog’s life. Reach out to your local shelter and start making a vital difference today.
Speak for those who cannot. Advocate for shelter pets in need. Raise awareness of the shelter crisis to anyone considering welcoming a furry best friend into their life. Dispel the myth that there is something broken about shelter dogs. There is nothing inherently wrong with any dog in the shelter system. They have fallen victim to the failures of irresponsible owners, a broken shelter system, and a lack of legislation protecting animals from harm.
Donate to animal shelters and reputable 501(c)(3) rescue organizations that rely on public support. Look for rescues that are transparent about their mission and clearly demonstrate their life-saving impact. You can also pledge funds toward a specific shelter dog’s rescue, become a medical sponsor, or sponsor a pet throughout their foster journey until adoption.
