Collaborative post
As an animal lover, it may well be the case that, when you were younger, you dreamed of becoming a professional veterinarian and helping hundreds of animals each and every year. However, as is often the case, perhaps as you grew older, you came to realize the somber and emotionally challenging aspect of the role.
There are, thankfully, a myriad of ways to help animals that do not involve entirely changing your career, the following of which can easily be undertaken in your free time, as and when you can.
Volunteer at an Animal Shelter
Of course, many animal lovers have pets – and that can be a big job in itself. If you’re a pet owner, you need to devote your time to them and ensure their health and wellbeing are taken care of – registering them with a veterinary practice near you is also crucial (Salt Water Animal Hospital in Des Moines, WA, is an example of what you should look for in a local vet). However, some people don’t have the time or even the funds to care for a pet, which is understandable. In that case, instead of taking on the commitment of your own pet, you can volunteer to help take care of animals without necessarily adopting one.
Perhaps the most obvious way in which you can directly help with the care and treatment of a variety of different species of animal in your local area would be to apply to become a volunteer at your local animal shelter. You can even specify the nature of volunteering work you would prefer, from walking dogs for a few hours at the weekend to even temporarily fostering pairs of bonded bunnies whilst their new forever home is being arranged.
Moreover, if you do have the time, you could split your free time between several animal shelters if you are able.
Donate Monthly to Animal Causes
If you are passionate about animals and moreover, are horrified when you hear how badly some people treat these defenseless and innocent creatures yet currently do not have enough free time to dedicate to volunteering, you could instead consider donating money.
Even just ten dollars a month can make a real difference to animal shelters, hospitals, and charities, and you can rest assured your money is going to help care for and treat sick, injured animals.
Encourage Wildlife into Your Garden
A more practical way to help animals in need in your free time is to start right in your own backyard by allowing your garden to grow more freely to create a haven for wildlife.
Just a selection of simple yet effective ways to encourage more wildlife to see your garden and backyard as a safe place for them to live and flourish include:
- Grow ‘bee-friendly’ flowers and plants to help save the diminishing population
- Hang nesting bird boxes into the trees
- Grow a mixture of different types of wildflowers
- Plant a tree
- Create a natural pond or install a water feature
Help Change State & National Laws
Unfortunately, for as many people in an average town in the United States who would do anything they could to protect animals and strive to eradicate animal abuse, there are also as many people who either do not share the same love for animals or else actively participate in said abuse.
With this in mind, the final suggestion for anyone who is looking to be more active in the fight for animal welfare across the country is to start adding your name to various petitions to the government and even gathering support for changes to the current laws in your state.