Animal rescues provide valuable services to their communities by taking in homeless and abandoned animals. What most people don’t realize is that rescuing animals is not an easy task. There is a lot of time and resources that go into running a local animal rescue. If you love animals and you’re looking for a way to help save furry friends in your area, then consider getting involved with a local rescue organization in one of the following ways.
- Foster a rescue
You might not be ready to adopt a pet just yet, but fostering an animal is a great way to gain experience. As a foster pet parent, you host an animal at your home for several weeks or months. During this time, you help the cat or dog you’re fostering will acclimate to living with humans and become less skittish. Animals that are more friendly and used to humans are more likely to get adopted.
If you’re looking for an organization to foster through, join my program through Jill’s Next Door Feline Alliance Program who helps socialize, care for, and increase adoption odds for feral cats and kittens found in Palm Beach County. Through this alliance organization, I’ve been able to build a cat sanctuary as well as raise money and awareness for felines in the area. I’m always looking for more volunteers to foster local cats, so please reach out if you’ve ever considered taking in a stray in need.
- Share your experience
Let other people know about your experience with animal rescues and shelters. Perhaps your own beloved pet was adopted from a rescue or maybe you donate supplies to an organization every year. Share this meaningful experience with your friends on social media so they can learn why you support local animal rescues.
I’m very vocal about my work with stray felines. I love posting pictures of my foster kittens on social media and updating friends and family about their progress. Sharing these stories is a great way to engage other people in the work I’m doing and help them understand why it’s so important to me.
- Donate to Florida’s Forgotten Felines
Donations are always appreciated by animal rescue organizations. Your donations don’t have to be monetary, either. Contribute by donating food, blankets, treats, or any other supplies listed on a rescue’s wishlist.
Florida’s Forgotten Felines is a wonderful local Palm Beach County organization that could use your help. I’ve personally contributed to this organization over the years by donating my time and skills to design their website, launch social media accounts, and volunteer when needed. FFF is a non-profit organization dedicated to making life easier for over 850 cats in Southern Palm Beach County. A big part of FFF is spaying and neutering stray cats in the community. By taking on this challenging task, FFF helps control the feral cat population in the area by trapping neutering and releasing (TNR).
- Be an advocate
A lot of people don’t have the resources to foster or adopt an animal, but that doesn’t mean you can’t help your local rescues. Instead of adopting yourself, share information about local rescue organizations with your community. Raising awareness for animal rescues and shelters is a really valuable action you can take. A lot of people don’t know about our organizations or what we do for the community. By advocating for organizations like Jill’s Next Door Feline Alliance Program, Florida’s Forgotten Felines, iHeart Animals, and Kitty Karma of Delray, you’ll be raising awareness for animals in need.
You should also keep our nonprofits in mind the next time you do a social media fundraiser!
- Help at home
Do your pets have tags? Are they spayed and neutered? Help make the job of animal rescue volunteers and workers easier by ensuring your pets are protected. Families lose their pets every year because a door was left open. Tags help us return your pets faster, and neutering or spaying your pet will keep them from producing offspring that end up on the streets.
Every effort helps in our endeavor to reduce the number of homeless animals and care for strays. Learn more about working with Florida’s Forgotten Felines and Jill’s Next Door Feline Alliance Program and find a way to get involved today!