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Four times per year, every January 15th, April 15th, July 15th and October 15th, we join the Blog The Change event to think how to make the world a better place for animals.
How to help a shelter without giving it food, toys, material, or money ? These elements are important, and they are the first ones of which everybody thinks, but you can also offer something else very precious: your skills.
- If you’re a photographer, you can take magnificent photos of the shelter animals which will allow to realize a calendar. The refuge can sell this calendar and get a small income from it.
- If you’re Web Designer or a blogger, and if you feel at ease with WordPress, Blogger, Joomla or,… you can create or relook the site of your shelter so that it’s pleasant, modern, easy to update, and maybe even free !
- To manage a shelter, successful computers are needed : you are in the field of computing ? Then you can help to assure the equipment and network maintenance (updates, security, backups). You can also help the persons in charge of the shelter to plan the budget of replacement of equipment.
- If you’re a public character, you can use your celebrity to make known the work of the shelter, present animals to adopt, or to organize an annual fund raising.
- If you’re in the field of accounts department or tax system, your advice can be appreciated for setting up a system to take into account, close the annual balance assessment or still plan the following budget.
- If you work in the legal domain (jurist, lawyer,…), you can simply be at arrangement if necessary : you never can tell…
All great ideas guys! you can do many things to make a difference and help out those less fortunate! Loves Fozziemum xxx
Those are all great ideas! I crochet toys, some go to the cats in the sheters and some get sold at the vet’s office and all the money goes to the shelter. There are many ways to help even when it isn’t monetary.
Good idea ! Home made craft ! Purrs
Wonderful ideas! Everyone has skills that can be put to good use to help animals 🙂
These are all great suggestions, guys. Shelters can always use more help! We will be sharing this article for sure.
Yep those awe sum pawsum ideas. Gweat posty.
Luv ya’
Dezi and Lexi
I am attempting to use my celebrity. However, since I won’t leave the house, that makes it a bit difficult. All great ideas! – Crepes.
an awesum post pixie & zorro….theeze R all grate eye deas…. hope ewe both, Claire & momo R doin grate !! ♥♥
our shelter has a volunteer who goes in simply to do the laundry. There is much of it to be done, and it is a task few enjoy so that is how she fills a very valuable service with out getting her heart broken by getting to know animals she can never own.
Very impawtant ! It’s an idea to add to our list ! Purrs
These are all great ideas… and my human SHOULD be using several of them!
We have been photographing pets at shelters for 6 years now…it’s very rewarding!
Noodle and crew
Great ideas! There are so many ways to help beyond donating money.
These are fantastic ideas, from our Bowzer Box we receive each month I take toys and other things out of there Bain will either destroy quickly, items we already have or won’t use and have it in a separate box to be donated to the shelter.
The mom volunteers for our local rescue group by writing thank you notes for the donations that come in.
That’s great ! And a simple “Thank you” can often make people giving again ! Purrs
Pawsome ideas from you and other commenters 🙂
Purrs Georgia and Julie,
Treasure and JJ
Great ideas for helping our anipal friends.
(((Shoko)))
Great ideas. One of the ways that I help the shelter is with manual labor. There is always a wall that needs painting, stuff moved or cleaned, dogs walked, lights changed, and landscaping that needs to be done. Anyway you can help is appreciated.
We didn’t think of it, it’s very impawtant too ! Thanks for the idea ! Purrs
HAH! That was 6 ways! Publicising the shelters, especially their fundraiser drives also helps. Great Blog the Change post.
Those are excellent ideas for helping a local shelter. The gift of time & talent are always needed by different charities.
These are all great ideas – sometimes it’s the smallest things and the act of simply caring that makes a big difference!
Excellent ideas. What it boils down to is that it never hurts to ASK! If you have a little bit of time to give, even if it has to be from home, call or e-mail your favorite animal charity and ask what they need. Maybe they need someone to make a few calls or send a few e-mails for them. Maybe they need someone to stuff envelopes. Maybe you will just make the volunteer coordinators day by offering your ____________ skills. Where there’s a will, there’s a way and if animals benefit, follow your heart and HELP! 🙂
These are great ideas. It’s amazing what people can do to help rescue shelters if they put their minds to it and use their areas of expertise and talents.
Purrs xx
Athena and Marie
PURRfect ideas !!
Maybe I shall send in my mom to our local shelter and help them take some new pictures ?!
A couple of times a year I have commenthatons on my bloggie where I give money to our local shelter 🙂
I give them “old” toy´s and otehr stuff too 🙂
XOXO
Good ideas I always encourage readers to think out of the box. We all have skills and there is always something we can do to help.
Those are all wonderful suggestions. And that is such a cute photo! Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend!
These are all such excellent ideas, and some we hadn’t thought of. Thanks so much for a great post. Calista Jo sends handsome Zorro and kiss. Hope you’ll join us tomorrow for our Sunday Selfies Blog Hop. XOCK, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo
Very good post. And true. Jan used to photograph shelter animals when she had a car.
Great ideas! Every little bit helps and some times what people think wouldn’t be enough is truly greatly appreciated!! 🙂
the critters in the cottage xo
Those are wonderful and inspiring ideas!
Helping shelter cats is like food for the soul.
xoxo
These are excellent suggestions! There are certainly many things you can do to help a shelter that don’t require a monetary gift. I am the volunteer blogger for my local cat shelter and hope that my services are helping more kitties get adopted. 🙂
I’m a veterinarian and offer my services when needed.
Oh, that’s great ! Shelter cats often need health cares when they arrive, and it can be very expensive for the shelter ! Paws up for you, Anna ! Purrs
These are all great ideas! I thought I’d add a couple of thoughts for readers to consider: 1. volunteer to walk the dogs/play with the critters in a shelter near you; and 2. coordinate a food/needs drive for a shelter (check their websites, most list their current needs).
Great ideas ! Purrs
Awesome suggestions!
I’m not sure if anyone has mentioned, but if anyone has towels or sheets that they were going to toss or donate to a charitable organization; they should seriously consider donating them to a shelter. They are always in need of them!
Also newspaper! I know as a previous vet tech that there are some cats who dislike or are allergic to litter so we used newspaper in their litter boxes!
You’re right ; material and toys should not be forgiven. We blogged about material in a previous post https://www.swisscatblog.ch/en/2014/04/be-the-change-2/, and wanted here to talk about ” non-material” things you can give too.
Great list! It’s terrific also for those unable to have pets of their own to volunteer time–and get their kitty/doggy “fix” so it’s win-win for everyone!
When I was a spokesdog for our local humane society, my ma did all the things that you mentioned until it got too much for her. All these things really do help a shelter and I wish more people would do it because what shelters need is people to spend time helping them.
Great post!!
The Farm cats have been known to send monies and foods to their favorite shelter. Harry meowed that he would send some mousies but the shelter did not want them
Really, Farm Cats ? Purrs
Even if you aren’t a web designer, a whole lot of bloggers are able to spruce up a basic site enough to make a real difference. What most shelters need more than anything is the gift of TIME, so any time you can take something off their plate, especially something like that that may not be in their normal skills, it’s so helpful.
SO may people don’t realize the good they can do with skills they already have or want to improve. Photographer is a great example. What better place to learn! I also see folks wanting to help dogs but fearful of not knowing enough about dog behavior or handling. They love dogs but have allergies. Whatever the case, there is always something that can be done. You’ve demonstrated a bunch of opportunities here that are just terrific. Hopefully, you’ve inspired people to think of their own talents and how those might help.
Thanks for sharing, inspiring and blogging the change!
Kim C.
BTC4animals.com
You are so right in that each of us as pet and animal lovers have our unique talent that can be useful to our local shelter. I guess it’s time for me to take another step in that direction and really do something to assist, especially since my dog Valentino is from my local shelter. Thanks for the timely reminder!
Great ideas! And old towels and blankets! All pets feel better on a blanket than a cold cage…
Great post. Because of the hours I work, I’m not able to commit to volunteering every day at my local shelter. I love spending time with the cats and taking their photos for their adoption profiles.
These are great ideas! I have volunteered my time as a social media manager for shelters/rescues/organizations to help them in a different way!
Cyber donations are fab as well – I know some folks can’t adopt a pet and so donating even 5 or 10 dollars a month is so helpful, Great tips and thanks so much. I hope to see you in Nashville at BlogPaws this May.
Right ! Claire would love to see you in Nashville, but as a teacher it’s hard to ask for extra holidays, and with Momo’s accident we have to be careful with money, and we prefer to stay calm to help for his recovery. Mum said she would once in her life come to BlogPaws, but she didn’t say WHEN ! Purrs
Great ideas. Dad, along with our help of course, supports local shelters and a few Rescues who do all foster.
We like to say: If more did a little there would be little to do.
Hi,
I think these tips are very usefull, I will try to do many as possible
Good recourse. Keep it up.
Cheers,
Tom.