How You Can Support Your Local Rescue Shelters
As loving pet owners or animal lovers in general, we know that you’re looking to help wherever you can, especially with local rescue organizations. Whether you have your own rescue pup or you’re thinking about adopting your very own furry friend, you may be wondering how exactly you can support a shelter in your area—especially if it’s one that you adopted your best pet companion from. There are numerous ways you can support a rescue and it doesn’t always have to be financially! Your continued support and loyalty can mean the absolute world to rescue organizations no matter what.
Donations
There are many ways that you can donate to a rescue organization near and dear to your heart. From donating money to gently used pet supplies, you can donate whatever works best for you and the pet rescue.
Monetary
If you want to set up monetary donations, many rescues allow you to set up monthly tax-deductible donations! As many rescue organizations are often volunteer-based, it can be extremely beneficial for rescue organizations to receive monetary donations. These donations can be a great way for a rescue to cover the costs of veterinary visits, pet supplies, and more.
Wish Lists
Many rescues post wish lists on their website or social media for donations that they’re seeking. It can be anything from dog food to a cozy dog bed. If you have any old pet supplies that your pet isn’t using anymore and don’t want to throw them out—see if your pet shelter can make any use of them! Plus, make sure to watch out for sales at your local pet store to see if you can stock up on supplies to donate to rescue organizations nearby.
Examples of what can be on a rescue organization’s wish list:
- Dog Beds
- Dog food and treats
- Collars and leashes
- Towels and blankets
- Grooming supplies
Supplements
With our Rescue Releaf program, we asked our followers on social media and independent retailers to nominate some of their favorite rescue organizations. Through these nominations, we reached out to the rescue shelters to see if they wanted to receive a donation of our pet CBD chews. In 2020, we donated over $250,000 worth of Edibites to over 170 rescue organizations nominated by you!
CBD can be a beneficial supplement to administer to rescue dogs as they transition from a shelter into their forever homes. CBD for dogs can be administered to promote calmness and relaxation so they can feel comfortable in a new situation. CBD can also be used during their time in the shelter to help support a healthy immune system as well as help keep them calm during stressful moments, such as being around other dogs.
If you just adopted a rescue, try out our Product Finder for a custom product recommendation based on your pet’s age, weight, and specific health concerns.
Social Media
Follow your local rescue organization on social media! Lots of nonprofit organizations have social media accounts to spread awareness about their rescue as well as posting about their current rescue dogs that are looking for a new home or a foster parent. Liking, commenting, and sharing a rescue’s posts can go a long way.
If you know any friends or family who are interested in adopting or fostering from a rescue organization, share a post from your local rescue that are promoting adoption events or showcasing dogs in their rescue that are looking for their forever home.
Volunteer
Rescues are always on the search for more volunteers! As many rescue organizations are volunteer based, they rely on animal lovers to donate their time to caring for rescue dogs in need. You can also volunteer with The Humane Society’s Animal Rescue and Response Team! The Animal Rescue and Response team supports rescues by going out and saving animals in need who are victims of animal cruelty as well as natural disasters.
You can also get involved in direct rescue care by cleaning cages, feeding, watering, socializing animals, and more!
Foster
If you’re not quite ready to adopt a rescue yet, there’s always an option of fostering! Rescue organizations often provide all the supplies you’d need, veterinary visits, and more. Food and supplies that are purchased during the foster process are usually tax deductible as well. With lots of rescue organizations being foster-based, they’re constantly searching for people who are willing to care for pets during this in-between period of being adopted. Providing a loving home for your foster pet can mean the absolute world to them as they wait for their forever homes.
Find companies that donate profits to rescues
From clothing to jewelry brands, there are many companies that donate a percentage of their profits to rescue organizations! This is a great way to support rescues for everyday things you’re already buying. It’s important to do your research on what brands are donating to so you know exactly where your money is going!
One of our favorite sustainable clothing brands, Wholesome Culture offers fun styles for all and give back 10% of their profits to animal rescues and environmental organizations. Supporting brands like this can help you feel great about your clothing purchases!