Have you been thinking about dog donation or volunteering to any Dog shelter, but don’t know how to do so? You love dogs, and decided to expand your family with a new furry friend?
Well, visit your local dog shelter near your location and enquire how you could contribute to the lives of those dogs living in shelter homes.
Many shelters accept and appreciate anyone who is able to volunteer and help them. There are a number of sites online owned by shelters. Choose the one near to you and contact them and get clarified on what you could provide.
Incase decided to get a dog, it is always recommended to choose dogs from shelter houses rather than buying a pet store pup. Why?
Pet Store Dog
Because most of the pups in pet stores come from puppy mills, owned by someone who runs it as a business with a single goal of attaining maximum profit from very little expense.
They don’t nurture the dogs and even some of these owners handle them inhumanely. These businesses are not to be supported so that without support from people buying from them demand reduces and thus resulting in a lesser puppy mill.
Shelter Dog
Dogs living in shelters have a backstory on why they are here. Often many dogs come from neglected households. By giving them the second chance in life, they will learn to trust you over a period of time and would love you forever and be grateful.
Some dogs fit right in the family and get trained so quickly with the house rules set and follow them. Some dogs need more time and patience to get trained and adapt to new rules and new houses.
Volunteering a Dog Shelter
You could donate cash to any shelter either by visiting them in person or online through their sites or dog donation fundraising campaigns.
It is not that these shelters accept only cash. Anyone could volunteer at these shelters and spend some quality time with the pets they have with them. However there are many items that you could donate, some important things would be,
Blankets and Towels :
If you have towels and blankets that you no longer want, take those items to the local dog shelter. The shelters are always in need of blankets or towels used to help enrich the lives of the dogs they have.
Pet Accessories :
If you have any pet-related items such as food and water bowls, bedding, cages, carriers, etc. in a good condition, handover those to the shelters.
Some.common Items that would be accepted in most Shelters :
- Sheets
- Pillowcases
- Pet beds
- Treats and Pet food
- Laundry or dishwashing liquid
- Toys
- Pet bowls
- Scratching posts
- Collars and tags
- Dog coats
- Puppy pee pads
Donating Pet Toys to a Dog shelter would also be a good idea. Because when the dogs in shelters aren’t meeting a potential family or getting playtime with volunteers, they are all caged-in which could make them fall prey to a lack of mental stimulation.
DIY toys are a perfect and economic solution to help them with that situation. Make your own toys and donate those to shelters. Consider these points before doing so :
Make sure with the shelter
Specific toy needs might vary from shelter to shelter. So it’s recommended to call and check with the shelter about their needs. Some shelters request for single-use DIY toys to avoid spreading disease or illness between the dogs they have.
For big dogs, the right option would be craft strong, indestructible toys. Try heavy ropes incorporated within the crafted toys to give a sturdy and strong feel.
List Out Supplies :
Before starting to craft your own dog toy, list out what are the useful supplies. And some could be found lying around in the house if you could use those costs in making go down even more.
Some examples are :
- Old T-shirt/shirt, socks, or towels for rope toys.
- Waste or Spare PVC pipe
- Tennis Ball
- Paper towel rolls
- Cardboards
Don’t Underestimate
Some of the most popular toys for pets are simple ones. you could make a number of simple toys rather than spending more time making one big complex toy.
Do not use materials that squeak
For dogs, squeaky toys can create some anxiousness. Also, the shelter would already be very noisy and they don’t want any more noise adding to that. Toys that don’t bother the pets and as well as the employees would achieve a higher level of simulation.
No Rawhide Bones
Rawhide bones are not suggested to use while crafting a toy for dogs since it could break a pooch’s tooth and cause stomach issues. There are possibilities that pups could choke while using it and if swallowed, it may cause some serious health issues.
