How to help animals

[bigsis7]

I really love animals and want to help them.  I can’t really foster right now and I am volunteering at a shelter. I would like to educate people about animals, but I am pretty young so I am not sure if people would take me seriuosly. I also want to help stop sales un pet stores. Also I want to resue abused or neglected animals. Any ideas on how to do this? Any other suggestions? Thanks!

[MooBunnay]

There are a lot of different ways you can help the animals, it helps to keep updated on animal issues, I usually check the website for Best Friends Animal Rescue about once a week because they keep very up to date on animal news (the website is http://www.bestfriends.org) and they have some opportunities for people to get involved through their “No More Homeless Pets” campaign.

As far as education, there are a few different things I like to do to help educate people. One thing I did was make a set of business cards online (it was about $7.50 for a whole bunch of cards – and I put links to some informative rabbit websites on the cards, and then if I met anyone interested in rabbbits, or that had a rabbit, I would give them a card. Don’t put any personal information on it because you don’t want people to have that, but I did put my name and email for people to get in touch with me.

Its great that you are interested in both helping pet stores and education, because it really seems that pet stores are the ones that need the MOST education! At the former rescue I worked at, we did a lot of “education” events at pet stores, where we would bring one or two bunnies (not for adoption, but for education) – and we would hand out pamphlets of information about rabbits, and talk to people about rabbits and how they need to be inside, and litterbox trained etc. The education events are great to do, do you think the shelter you volunteer at could help you with that? You can do education events at schools, pet stores, and we even did one at Whole Foods Market. Try to see if there are any larger groups around you, like the Humane Society putting on events where you could be the “bunny” rep. Often, bunnies are overlooked when larger groups are doing adoption events, or education events.

Finally, posting online on boards like this, and learning all you can about rabbits, and then sharing the information is a great way to help people!

[Ash]

I know Vistaprints allow free bussiness cards I think 250 and you just pay shipping. http://www.vistaprint.com

THere is a site called Care2 Petition and anyone can create a petition on any subject and it can be reached by anyone all over.  There are alot of animal and activists petitions on there. and I’m sure there will be ALOT of people wanting to sign a petition that would stop the seling of animals in pet stores.  http://www.thepetitionsite.com/

IN Australia they are actually trying to ban the selling of cats and dogs in petstores. I think it should include ferrets, rabbits , etc… I posted info on that in it’s own Thread

[LittlePuffyTail]

I as well am into helping animals in any way I can. There are a lot of great animal websites out there that list ways you can get involved. I will PM you a list of some of these. It’s great that you want to get involved.

[LittlePuffyTail]

I guess I can’t PM you cuz you didn’t list your e-mail in your profile. Send me a PM (click on my name and you will see my e-mail addy in my profile) and I will send you these sites

[osprey]

There are so many things you can do to help even if you cannot foster.  I work with a rabbit specific rescue and we have volunteers that transport bunnies to and from vet appointments, do office work like filing and paying bills, maintain our online presence (website, MySpace, LiveJournal, PetFinder, Craig’s List, FaceBook, etc.), take photographs of bunnies, write proposals for grants, produce videos/slideshows, design posters and print collateral, counsel adopters on bunny care, groom and trim nails, the list goes on and on.  We have some very involved young people too, who use us to fulfill their community service requirement for middle school  and high school.  Are there any animal rescues in your area?  I am sure they would love any help you could give.

 

[Toki+Pumpkin+Elmo]

Depending on the shelters, you can do emergency foster. You just foster for a few days until they can find a home to foster them for a longer time of period. The shelters are often over loaded after Easter and around holidays. Most of the time, they also supply everything you would need including food and cage.

[Author]

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