Donations Are Not Just Monetary

We’ve all seen the commercials with the big-eyed dogs and cats sitting miserably behind cage bars seemingly begging us to save them. In this economy, those of us that are moved to help often find ourselves feeling bad because we simply don’t have the money to give. It’s easy to fall into that money ‘trap.’ No rescue organization needs just money. They have many other needs that don’t have to break your bank. Almost all shelters rely on volunteers to walk the dogs, socialize the cats, and help clean the kennels. Sure, monetary donations are great, but helping out understaffed and overworked shelter personnel can be a big help. It allows you to help homeless shelter animals without having to scrape up change from your ash tray.

Don’t have time to spare or a lot of money? Try checking out your local shelter’s website for their grocery list. Every shelter has items they need and use on a daily basis. Here’s an example of a list from a shelter near me:

 Bleach
Powdered laundry soap
Spray cleaner  (no pine scented please)
              Clay cat litter  (please, no clumping, no silicone)
              Dry dog food
Dry cat food
Natural colored dog chews
White out  (Liquid and dry)
20# white copy paper
Kitchen and garbage size plastic bags
Cloth towels
Paper towels
Gift cards  (Meijer, Walmart, Petsmart, etc.)
Rubbing alcohol
Cotton balls
Q-tips
Liquid hand soap
Bandaids
Dog and cat shampoo
Flea dip

The next time you do your own groceries maybe you can spare an extra 4 or 5 bucks on a few bottles of bleach or some cat litter. If you’re going to buy food, just check with the shelter first to see if they have any preferences.

A lot of times we get the mentality that we have to help in a big way or we can’t help at all. For these rescue organizations any and all help is greatly appreciated and even the smallest donation can be put to good use. Don’t have time or money? Do you have a mouth? A big part of the work these organizations do is education. The next time you hear a friend talking about getting a pet, suggest the local shelter. If you know a friend with a recently acquired pet, recommend that they get that pet spayed or neutered. Anything we can do to help is a step in the right direction and benefits a homeless animal.