By Griffin Cross
Animal rescues are groups or organizations that specialize in rescuing animals that have been abused, abandoned, or are unwanted. They attempt to find good people who will adopt the animals and give them good homes. Some animal rescues specialize in taking care of many different types of animals or some specific kinds, such as dogs or cats.
There many different sites all over the country and close to William Peace University. I myself adopted a dog named Trevor from an animal shelter in Cary, North Carolina and he has so much joy in my life.
Why support animal shelters?
The great benefit of animal rescues is being able to find people who will adopt an animal and give it a good home. Many people say that animals from rescues are dangerous or not affectionate due to what happened to them, but this is a small minority of the animals.
Many animal rescues have a lost and found which helps many people find their lost animal. Some rescues have pet food assistance for people struggling due to COVID-19. They also may have veterinary care at the animal rescues or can help you get to a veterinarian if needed.
How can I help?
Adopt your pet: Most animals are very friendly and affectionate, like any other animal you adopt at a regular pet store. Some are even already well trained and very easy to take care of. All rescues have some type of adoption fee which can vary in cost from small to large depending on the rescue site.
Donate: Not ready for your next pet? Another way you can help an animal rescue is to donate money; every cent counts because many of the animal rescues sites were struggling even before COVID-19 hit the area. You can also donate items to the rescues, including food, pet toys, and anything you can think of that will help.
A lot of rescue sites do not allow in-person drop off at this time, but you can order items online and have it delivered directly to a shelter. Some animal rescues even have an Amazon Wishlist which lets you know exactly what they need at that time.
Volunteer: Another way you can help is to volunteer at one of the animal rescues which you can apply to on their websites. In order to volunteer you must be at least 18 years or older. They will require you to give your basic information and provide what capacity you would like to help; this could mean volunteering at an animal rescue or fostering an animal at your home.
Attend events: Some animal rescues have events where people can come and meet the animals at the rescue. Other events are periods of time where you can adopt an animal at a lower price than usual.
Unfortunately, some rescues are closed right now due to COVID-19, and many have canceled their usual events. So, make sure if you are interested in helping at an animal rescue that you look at their website or call to see if they are open.
If you decide to help, whichever way you choose to help you will feel great doing something good for a good cause. You may also make some friends along the way and also make some animal friends too.
