Helping Animals- What options do you have when you care for animal welfare?
Here at Pound Paws, we are advocates for all manner of animal welfare- not just domestic animals. More than ever, we are exposed to the unfortunate conditions and circumstances animals can be found in. We know that when you have a particular concern for the well-being of your dog, cat or bunny that you probably care for all kinds of animals- just like us.
We have written a guide for those that may not have the ability to undertake animal welfare as a full time pursuit- but are still concerned and want to help.
Social Media
Social Media platforms have transformed the way we communicate; sharing and responding is practically instant and spreading news is easier than ever. You will find a Facebook page dedicated to just about any animal organisation you can imagine- participating in an array of animal welfare operations. For example, lost pets is an issue that takes community involvement to resolve. We found a great website, lostpetfinder.com.au that lists lost pets as well as lists area specific Facebook pages for losts pets. Like and follow these pages to be alerted of anyone who has lost a pet in your area, and you can then keep an eye out as well as share to your own page to alert your friends. This is a great way to participate in animal welfare using social media.
Search for the animal welfare organisations you admire on Facebook, and follow their pages- you will then be alerted of any petitions or charity campaigns that need community support. For example, we recently signed a petition for Wildlife rescue organisation WIRES, aimed at stopping new laws that would allow wildlife like Koalas and Wombats to be kept as pets- all through Facebook.
Of course, Social Media is one of our most powerful tools here at Pound Paws and
we have matched many surrendered pets with forever homes using Facebook- we appreciate community support and would love it if you could follow us on Facebook and support our mission to connect loving homes with beautiful pets.
Volunteering your time
It is difficult juggling the many demands of modern life and making time in your schedule may be something that seems hard to achieve. However, it’s surprising how a small amount of time can make a huge difference to charity organisations. Between charity events, animal housing facilities, wildlife rescue centers and marketing campaigns- there will likely be somewhere you can help out for a couple of hours here and there- or even regularly if you are able to commit to it. We host plenty of Dog Day events which you can get involved in, there are various roles ranging from; Donation Collections, Photobooth Assistance, Stage Hand & much more! These days are a whole lot of fun to get involved with too.
Even simply attending the events and telling your friends about them is enough to help
out; so you can contribute as much or as little as you wish.
Often we will be looking for an extra pair of hands for a wide variety of tasks from driving pets to and from pet appointments to dog walking.. You’ll be surprised at the little jobs that can make a big difference to pets waiting to be re-homed.
We found an amazing article about a woman who knits jumpers for dog pounds to keep them warm in the winter - click here to read.
This is a perfect example of how someone could volunteer their skills and time to aid in animal welfare.
Donating goods and funds
Your generosity is probably the number one thing that animal welfare organisations need. You can donate in so many different ways, and to whatever degree is achievable for you. Many of us find ourselves culling and re-organising our homes during a spring clean- you never now how useful some of the things we throw away may be for a local pound or wildlife center. When preparing a pile of things to clear out- take an extra measure to set aside things like towels, sheets, blankets, pillows or toys and contact your local animal shelter to offer your items. Pounds and re-homing organisations go through a lot of pet food daily and always need to top up their stock. A low budget way to donate food is to buy a little extra every time you shop and build up a donation box- once you’ve got a nice stock pile, you can drop it off to your local shelter.
Donating money is one of the top ways to contribute, it may mean an injured cat can have a much needed operation or a shelter can buy more medicine for their guests. Find a reputable organisation that aligns with your values and stay up to date on their fundraising campaigns.
You can also conduct your own fundraising campaigns online and gather up your network of friends and family to chip in towards a good cause. If you would like to get involved in an online fundraiser for Pound Paws, feel free to get in touch with us! Email info@poundpaws.com.au We hope you learnt some great tips from this article!