Volunteer Work with Animals

     Volunteering to work with animals is a rewarding experience.  There are many opportunities out there, whether it involves working with a charity, working in exotic locations with exotic animals, helping abused or neglected animals, working at animal shelters, or even helping out with animals in your own neighborhood.  There are so many animals that can use your help.  There are even many indirect ways that you can help animals without directly working with animals, and we will discuss some ways that you can protect domestic and wild animals later on the website.  Please take the time and read this website.  We would like to give you some ideas to inspire you to work with or for animals.  Your help is truly needed and appreciated. 

     If you are interested in both making a difference in your own community and helping animals, you may want to consider volunteering at an animal shelter in your town.  There are many volunteering opportunities for you at a local animal shelter.  You can walk dogs, clean up after the animals, or even work behind the scenes by stuffing envelopes for educational mailing.  You also can assist with fundraising.  If you can volunteer your time at a local animal shelter, you will be able to bring a little help to some animals that really need it.

Animal Shelter Facts

    There are between 4,000 and 6,000 animal shelters in the United States.  It is estimated that animal shelters care for somewhere between six and eight million dogs and cats every year in the United States.  Approximately three to four million of those animals are euthanized.  That means that approximately ½ of the animals that are in shelters will never leave the animal shelter alive.  Believe it or not, the number of animals euthanized in shelters has actually decreased.  In the 1970s, there were approximately 12-20 million cats and dogs euthanized, when there were only about 67 million pets living in homes.  However, today shelters euthanize around 4 million animals, but there are more than 135 million dogs and cats living in homes.  If you are looking for volunteer work for teens, animal shelters are a great place to look.  This means that the percentage of animals euthanized to the general number of pets living in homes has decreased. 

     Approximately 63% of households in the United States own pets; however, only 10% of dog and 18% of cats were adopted from animal shelters.  Every year, there are millions of dogs and cats that are given away to the shelter by their owners, and some of these animals have been rescued from the streets by animal control officers as well as private citizens where they have been brought to the animal shelters.  This leaves animal shelters with a burden of providing food and shelter for these unwanted animals. 

     There is no set time limit determined for holding an animal before deciding to euthanize it.  Each shelter makes its own decisions regarding adoption and euthanasia.  These decisions may be based on factors such as the temperament and health of the animal, as well as the current space available for the animal and the space and resources needed to properly care for the animal.  Animal shelters that take in strays may have an established holding period in order to give the owners enough time to find and claim their pets.  This holding period is typically set by state or local law, so it does vary depending on what part of the country you are in. 

     It is important that shelters provide an environment for the animals that will promote their health.  They also need to be sure to allow the owners enough time to get to the shelter to claim their animal.  Every effort should be made by the shelter to calm and treat conditions the animal may have, such as sickness, stress, or challenging behavior. 

     The goal of the animal shelter’s adoption program is to find suitable lifelong homes for the animal.  Animals that have exhibited dangerous or aggressive behaviors should not be considered for adoption.  Every cat or dog should receive a thorough medical exam as well as a behavioral assessment in order to give the staff and volunteers at the animal shelter a better understanding of the needs, health, personality, and behaviors of that animal. 

Volunteering to Help Animals From Home >