Shelters to the Rescue

Becoming a volunteer does not just benefit your life; it benefits every animal that is in the shelter. There are volunteers of all ages that help make a difference in the lives of animals every day. If you are considering becoming a volunteer, here is a list of pros and cons to help you make your decision.

Pros:

It’s a “feel good” thing. The work you are doing is a good thing. The work you are doing is contributing to animals finding homes and getting the care they need. Working with animals to get them ready for adoption is hard work, but it is incredible to see those animals find their forever homes.

Volunteers are always needed. There is a constant intake of animals, and those animals need the love and care you can provide. The services you take part in (ex. walking dogs, grooming cats, etc.) will never go unnoticed. Without volunteers, shelters would have a tough time caring for every animal on an individual level. This individualistic care is important to an animal’s social experience, personality, and training.

Being a volunteer is beneficial for your physical, emotional, and mental health. It has been proven that spending time with animals helps lower your stress levels and blood pressures. The services you partake in will keep you active and gives you the opportunity to create bonds with animals. These bonds help your emotional health and can battle issues such as depression, anxiety, and stress.

Meet good people. Volunteering at an animal shelter gives you the chance to be surrounded by people that share a common interest, so not only can you work toward a shared goal, but you can form a deeper connection. You will end up seeing these people on a regular basis, so it’s inevitable that you will form friendships.

Find the perfect companion. Anyone can fall in love with the way an animal looks, but you get to know the animal over a long period of time. Knowing how an animal plays, their energy level, how they act with other people, and how much training they’ll need can be essential information for anyone looking to adopt a certain animal. Help find someone their perfect companion, or find yours.

You get to see the animals you love get adopted. After spending time with them, and seeing all they have to offer, these animals are getting adopted, and you couldn’t be happier! You have done all you could to care for them and now it is time to see them go.

Cons:

You will have to watch the animals you love get adopted. You are happy to see an animal get adopted, but you have developed a bond so deep that you don’t want to see them go. It’s a bittersweet moment, but you are looking forward to the photos their new parents are going to send you for a check-in.

Realizing you cannot take all the animals home with you. Maybe one, or two, but you probably couldn’t handle more than that. It may be the hardest part about leaving at the end of the day.