July 23, 2012

Bloggers Unite for Dog Rescue: How You Can Help

As I said last week, today is a special global event: Bloggers Unite for Dog Rescue to bring attention to the importance of dog adoption and related issues. The event is being sponsored by Blog the Change for Animals (BTC4animals.com), Blog Catalog, and Dog Rescue Success.

For my part, I thought I'd bring attention to dog adoption issues by writing about the Helen Woodward Animal Center where I've been volunteering for about 6 or 7 years now. At the end of the post, I'll also list some ways you can help too! There's even a super easy-peasy one!


Helen Woodward is a "private, non-profit organization dedicated to saving the lives of animals and enriching the lives of people." For 30+ years, their no-kill Center has provided "humane care and animal adoption for orphaned animals, as well as animal-centered educational and therapeutic programs for people." They prefer the term animal "center" rather than shelter because they are so much more than just a shelter!

In addition to pet adoptions, they also provide: pet boarding, education, therapeutic riding (gentle horseback riding sessions for children and adults with special needs), pet encounter therapy (staff and volunteers take dogs, rabbits, birds, and guinea pigs to visit over 45 facilities a month), and they also have an equine hospital. They also run an "AniMeals" companion program to Meals-on-Wheels, ensuring that pets of disabled people and home-bound seniors have food. 

I volunteer there every Monday and it's a lot of fun. Some Mondays, I admit, I don't feel like going--I'm busy; I've got other things to do; etc. but in the end, I'm always glad I went. It's great to hang out with the pups for an afternoon. I only volunteer with the adoptable dogs (it's also possible to volunteer to work with the pet boarding facility, which is a profit center for HWAC) and not the cats since I'm allergic to cats. I'd love to hang out with the kitties too, but they make my eyes unbearably itchy!
One of the cutest pups evar at HWAC!

The fun things I do there include: playing with the dogs in the field (sometimes we have play dates, which is really fun, or the dogs play in the kiddie pools if the weather is hot), taking dogs for walks around the grounds, and hanging out with the puppies in their kennels. The puppies don't get to go in the field or out on walks because they aren't fully vaccinated yet, so we just hang out with them in their kennels. Luckily the kennels are big enough for a wee game of fetch or tug, or they're perfect for just having a cuddle. In the winter, part of the concrete floor is heated, so it's kind of nice to sit on the ground and hang out with a warm puppy. 

One other fun thing is that every Monday I can literally say that I've "gone to the dogs." 

The less fun things are: scooping poop and doing laundry. There are generally mountains of laundry - but doing laundry can't compare to snuggling a pup. 

I know not everyone can volunteer their time at a shelter (or "center"!), so here are some other ways you can help, listed from what I consider the hardest to the easiest: 
1. Consider fostering - okay, I know this one's hard; that's why I listed it first. I'd like to do this some day, but you need to have the time and space for it. Some day... 

Not exactly a beagle, but still super adorable!
Our other beautiful rescue girl!
2. Consider adoption for your next pet. If there's a specific breed you're looking for, type the breed name and "rescue" into a search and see if there's a rescue group near you or one willing to transport. Or type a breed into Petfinder.com and see what happens. That's how we ended up with Rita. I typed in Beagle... and her little beagle/German Shepherd mix face popped up and we couldn't resist her! If you already have an adopted pet - be sure to tell everyone how awesome rescuing is. If you do get a pet from a breeder, make sure they are a responsible breeder. 

3. Donate money, especially to local shelters. {Note that the Humane Society of the United States and the ASPCA tend to do a lot of legislative work, and very little of your donation to them would actually go to help a pup in a shelter. As the ASPCA notes on  their site: "the terms 'humane society' and 'SPCA' are generic; local shelters using those names are not part of the ASPCA or the Humane Society of the United States." So, don't think that the money you give to the ASPCA/HSUS filters down to your local SPCA/Humane Society, cuz it doesn't.} Writing a check - that's easy! I can certainly recommend donating to HWAC - they do a lot of good. 

However, I know there are lots of demands on your checkbook, so there's one last easy-peasy way to help:

4. Donate old stuff! Especially blankets, sheets, towels, bath mats, or throw rugs. The stuff that's too funky even to donate to Goodwill is fine for pups and kitties to sleep on! Here are some other items you can donate that you might not have thought of: treats, paper towels, hand sanitizer, plastic kiddie pools for the dogs to play in, or see if your local shelter would like to have your gently used technology when you upgrade (printers, flash drives, cameras, etc.) 

If you are local, just give your old junk to me, and I'll drop it off at Helen Woodward the next time I go!

Okay... and here's one last fun way you can help... (warning: imminent shameless plug dead ahead...): you can buy the paperback version of What the Dog Ate from Amazon or CreateSpace and part of the proceeds on all print sales this year will go to Best Friends Animal Society.  

[Have you entered my giveaway? You've got until July 31 to enter!] 

Gotta go - it's Monday! Gotta go to the dogs! 

Oh - but first - two other things:
1. I'm guest blogging today about "Four Lessons from Three Dogs", and
2. Of course, this is a blog hop! 





7 comments:

  1. I loved that the mission statement for HWAC mentioned saving animals and enriching the lives of people. We can't separate the two--helping animals benefits us all.

    Great ideas. Though I had to laugh about fostering being the hardest. For me, it's easier than volunteering at my local shelter which involves a ten mile bike ride up serious hills in all kinds of weather. At least I can stay home to foster. :)

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  2. I loved that the mission statement for HWAC mentioned saving animals and enriching the lives of people. We can't separate the two--helping animals benefits us all.

    Great ideas. Though I had to laugh about fostering being the hardest. For me, it's easier than volunteering at my local shelter which involves a ten mile bike ride up serious hills in all kinds of weather. At least I can stay home to foster. :)

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  3. I've done 2, 3, and 4 and would also like to try number 1. But my fear is that I would want to keep every foster and it would be sad to have them go even to a great home. Need to consider it, though, once I have a pooch that plays well with others.

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  4. I have always been a supporter of Best Friends and now I have added your book to my list. When I worked at the donkey rescue next door here, I know that we always appreciated donations of stuff, blankets, towels, bowls, toys and so on. I think many people may not think of that. The center where you volunteer sounds really great, I have to look that up as well. Isn't blogging great?

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  5. That's so generous of you to volunteer once a week with your rescue group - and they sure sound like a great rescue group to work with. Love the story of how you found your "Beagle" Rita. Who could resist a face like that? :-)

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  6. I have heard wonderful things about HWAC!

    Great post and great ideas!

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