Ask not what your shelter can do for you...

Athena and I are shelter cats. (Hera had a foster Mom who probably spoiled her - which would explain a lot.) When I was in the shelter they euthanized pets no one wanted. I was almost one of them myself - I had one week left. But then my favorite human in the world saved me! Luckily the animals at my shelter no longer have to worry about that. It is now a no-kill shelter. The animals in Athena's old shelter are not so lucky. They euthanize A LOT of animals every year.

If you want a cat or a dog - try a shelter or foster/rescue organization!

Shelters and foster/rescue organizations aren't around to make money. They are there to get animals off the streets and - hopefully - into new forever homes. Just like Hera, Athena, and me. Because they don't have a lot of money, there are ways humans can help.

Volunteer 

 Volunteering is great because it is free! All it costs is your time. You can do it once with a group as part of a special activity (like "Clean the Shelter Day") or as often as you want. Many shelters take humans as young as 16 years old to be volunteers.

Show off what you know

Shelters always need talented people. So if you don't want to volunteer to walk dogs and clean cages, volunteer your skills. (Humans always have skills.) Take photos, do some bookkeeping, build a dog cage, or redo a webpage. Shelters need all sorts of different types of help.

Take one of us home with you

You can sign up to be a foster parent and take an animal home with you until it is adopted. Just remember - you have to give it back! If you don't it is called a "foster failure." But in this case a failure is a good thing! Foster parents help keep shelters from getting too crowded.

Donate

Let's face it, cats aren't very good about going out and getting jobs. But even though we can't eat it, we cats know money is important. And shelters need a lot of it. Cats need food, help if we get sick, a roof over our heads, and TV and video games. OK, we don't care about TV or video games (except Athena) but we do need those other things! Even just a few dollars can really help. 

Hold a Fundraiser

Your cat clogged the toilet with his catnip mouse and your dryer exploded. Now you are short on money to donate. No problem!  Have an event that helps raise money for a shelter. You can do this through your school, work, or organization. Animal Sheltering has pages and pages of great fundraising ideas.

Make a blanket

Cage bottoms are really hard. Blankets make things cozy. Case closed. If you can knit you can use one of the many blanket patterns from The Snuggles Project. Or try something easier like this No-Sew Fleece Throw.

Give them your old stuff

Many shelters have wish lists. And because we cats don't care if stuff is new, you may find things your local shelter needs just lying around your house gathering dust. Such as sheets, blankets, newspapers, towels and old pet items you no longer need.

Buy them new stuff

Go shopping! Humans like that kind of thing, right? The next time you are at the store pick up some cat food, or cat litter, or a TV and Xbox for the furry guys at your local shelter. (OK, again, maybe not a TV and Xbox.)

Adopt! 

Adopting a pet is serious business. We pets like sticking around as long as possible. If you have room and love and money to pay for food and medical bills, check out your local shelter. But don't do it without putting a lot of thought into it first!

I want to help, but I don't even know if we have a shelter

Chances are, you have a shelter somewhere nearby. Here are three great links to help you find one:

Adopt a Pet

The Shelter Pet Project

Petfinder

Join the BlogPaws Blog Hop: