If you know me and my writing journey, you're probably thinking, why is this topic on your new blog? Shouldn't it be on Mabel the Rescue Dog? Sure, I do have a blog that's only for dog-related topics, but the articles are much simpler. They're typically short and from my dog's point of view, making them more fun and lighthearted than a typical informational post.
But when it comes to animal-related volunteering, there's so much information to talk about. Since this blog is home to longer, more personal articles, I figured it wouldn't hurt to include a pet-related post now and then, as long as it matches the overall tone of the rest of this blog.
So, one topic that I think is really important to talk about is volunteering. Volunteering with animals is a huge part of my life. I regularly volunteer for two animal organizations: JRs Pups-N-Stuff and Bailing Out Benji. JRs is the animal rescue I adopted my dog, Mabel, from. I typically help out there by fostering and attending events. Then, Bailing Out Benji is an organization that educates the public about puppy mills, so I attend events through them as well where I help others learn about puppy mills and what they can do to stop them.
If you're a dog lover, I highly recommend doing some type of animal volunteering. There's such a wide variety of ways people can help dogs in need, including some options that aren't super time-consuming. Thus, I've decided to highlight some of the volunteering types that I'm aware of to help fellow animal lovers decide what type of volunteering is best for them.
Keep in mind that every animal organization needs different volunteering tasks, so reach out to your local organizations to find out what kind of help they need!
Fostering
For many rescues and shelters, fostering is the most important volunteering opportunity. At the time of writing this article, I have fostered 23 dogs and 4 guinea pigs. I won't lie, fostering is a lot of work, but it's also one of the most rewarding things I've ever done.
As much as I'd love for everyone to foster an animal at least once, I know it's not for everyone. Fostering is a full-time commitment - it's essentially having a temporary dog without having to pay for their care. Sure, you can still go about your normal routine, but the dog is always at your house, so you're volunteering 24/7.
Also, for many rescues, there's a lot of uncertainty with fostering. The dog will stay with you until they get adopted, which could be days, weeks, months, or even years depending on the dog. Most of my foster dogs have gotten adopted within a few weeks, but not all rescues are that quick, especially in areas where adoptions are slower.
If you're interested in fostering, I really recommend trying it once. It's a lot of fun and you get to spend time with dogs of a variety of breeds, ages, and backgrounds. And if you don't like it, you can be done after one foster dog. The organization will understand if it's just not for you.
Before I move on to the next type of volunteering, I just want to address the question I get asked most when it comes to fostering: "is it sad?" For some foster parents it is, but I personally don't get sad when the foster dogs leave because it's such a great feeling to see them go off to a better life and know that I've helped them.
Dog Handling
If you love spending time with dogs but can't commit to fostering, there are plenty of other dog handling volunteer tasks available. Shelters and rescues that have dogs on-site typically need dog walkers to stop by throughout the day and make sure the dogs get some exercise.
You may also be able to help handle the dogs at adoption events, which is something I do regularly, especially when I'm not fostering. I enjoy this type of volunteering a lot because you get to spend time with the adoptable dogs and get to know their personalities without having to bring them home. Plus, any exposure is good for rescue dogs, so getting them out of their kennel space is a huge help.
Cleaning
I won't lie, cleaning is probably the most boring type of volunteering, but it's a necessity. It's the part of pet care that most people hate to do, but pets can be super messy, so there's always cleaning to be done. Luckily, cleaning tasks are easy for anyone to do and they're a great way to help care for animals without having to be responsible for any animals (unless you're asked to give them a bath or something).
It can't hurt to ask your local shelter and rescue what types of cleaning they need help with. To make it more exciting, you can do some volunteering with the dogs first and then help with cleaning after.
Event Help
Most animal organizations hold lots of events, many of which are places to show off adoptable dogs. However, not every event requires you to handle a dog. I've been to plenty of rescue events where I've sold merchandise and held other activities to raise money for the rescue, such as paw print paintings. Plus, it always helps to have someone around to answer questions about the rescue without being distracted by a dog.
Education
Not every event has to be about getting dogs adopted. Some events are purely educational to help more people learn about animal rescue. For Bailing Out Benji, I attend lots of events where we just set up a table, answer questions about puppy mills, and hand out fliers. We will often get donations from merchandise or just from people's generosity, but these events are more about spreading the word than collecting money.
When you're involved in a lot of animal rescue stuff, it's easy to forget that not everyone knows about puppy mills and how to avoid unethical breeders. So, being able to teach people about this information could protect them from unknowingly supporting a bad business.
Another big type of educational volunteering I do with Bailing Out Benji is protesting. We regularly hold signs outside of pet stores selling puppy mill dogs (almost every puppy store sources their dogs from puppy mills). These protests are a great way to educate the people driving by and make them think twice before shopping at the store. Luckily, Bailing Out Benji has lots of data on where puppy stores are getting their puppies from, so we're able to share specific information if anyone stops to ask us about our protests.
Remote Volunteering
Life can get busy, making it difficult to attend in-person volunteering. Luckily, there are lots of remote volunteering opportunities. At JRs, I know there are people who help with adoption paperwork and people who hold virtual home visits. I have never helped with those tasks, so I don't know all the details, but it seems like a great way to help out without having to leave the comfort of your home. Ask your local rescues and shelters if they have any volunteer opportunities like that.
In the past, I have volunteered to write bios for adoptable pets, make posts about adoptable pets, and write posts for a rescue's website (most of these tasks were at a different rescue than the one I foster for).
Also, I currently started a new type of remote volunteering for Bailing Out Benji. I'm helping out with some online data they have. Right now, I'm working on sorting through CVIs (Certificate of Veterinary Inspections) to determine which ones are going to pet stores in Wisconsin. They made it sound like it would be a boring task, but I find it fascinating and I love organizing things.
Help Pass Ordinances
This type of volunteering certainly isn't for everyone, but it's a great way to make the world a better place for animals. I've helped pass several humane pet store ordinances in my state, which ban the sale of puppies in pet stores. These ordinances are meant to help end puppy mills by cutting off their sources. Puppy stores almost always sell puppy mill dogs because a reputable breeder would never ship their puppies somewhere else to be sold.
So, if there are any animal-related ordinances or laws that you think the place you live in could benefit from, consider getting them introduced. Helping with these ordinances will typically involve speaking at meetings, so if you have a fear of public speaking, it may not be for you. But if you know of someone else who would be willing to introduce an ordinance, you can send an email to show your support.
If you're interested specifically in humane pet store ordinances like the one I mentioned, you can contact Bailing Out Benji for more information on how to do that.
Donations
Finally, if free time is hard to come by, consider donating. Donations are a huge part of what keeps rescues operating, so it can be just as important as volunteering. Most organizations will happily accept money of any amount, but many shelters and rescues desperately need supplies too. If you're not sure what supplies to donate, reach out to the organization to see if they have a wish list.
Aren't Able to Volunteer? Spread the Word!
Not everyone has enough time to volunteer or enough money to donate, and that's okay. You can still make a difference even if everything else in your life is hectic. Spreading the word is an easy and beneficial way to draw more attention to animals in need. Sharing a post about an adoptable dog, helping others understand the difference between an ethical and unethical breeder, and sharing fundraisers for animal organizations on social media can make an impact without you needing to break the bank or take much time out of your day.
No matter how you decide to help pets in need, your efforts matter! So, thank you to everyone who has helped in some way, no matter how small.
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