Shelters across the state of North Carolina need their community now more than ever. Currently, local animal welfare organizations are finding themselves facing capacity issues due to more people acquiring dogs and cats from pet stores and breeders. According to Best Friends Animal Society, a leading national animal welfare organization that works extensively with partner shelters and rescue groups across the state’s most recent data, close to 31,000 dogs and cats were killed because they didn’t have a safe place to call home.
“Best Friends prioritizes supporting animal shelters to help save the lives of cats and adoptable dogs through the implementation of lifesaving programming, said John Graves, East Regional Manager, Best Friends Animal Society. “We provide grants, training, education, mentorships, and more, but what shelters need from you, is you. Your community shelter is just that, a community. Every person needs to do their part. These dogs and cats are depending on you.”
Some ways the public can help, include:
• Adopting. For those looking to add a new companion to their home, choosing the adoption option is one of the simplest ways to help North Carolina achieve no-kill.
• Fostering. Fostering is a great option that provides an animal with the space and time to decompress, while acclimating to life in a home. When people foster an animal, it alleviates the number of animals in the shelter, so that shelters are not forced to make the difficult decision to kill them due to lack of space. It is also essential to no-kill since it provides animals a temporary home until they can be adopted.
• Volunteering. Shelter staff across the state are spread thin. Walking dogs, cleaning kennels, and doing laundry are all essential tasks to keep shelters running smoothly. When staff are able to delegate tasks to volunteers, it allows them to dedicate more time to facilitating adoptions, managing intakes, and advocating for their resident animals.
• Donating. Donating provides resources to help shelters save more lives. And donations don’t have to be monetary. Shelters are always in need of supplies like food, blankets, towels, and even old newspapers.
• Sharing. Shelters and rescue groups often post about dogs in need at their organization. By sharing these posts on social media channels, more awareness is created and can help dogs find foster or adoptive homes. It’s a quick, free, and easy way to make a positive difference.
• Advocating. Join Best Friends community-driven, grassroots movement to help save more dogs and cats in North Carolina.
To learn more about helping local shelters, please visit bestfriends.org or contact your local shelter or rescue group directly.
Best Friends Animal Society is a leading animal welfare organization working to end the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters by 2025. Founded in 1984, Best Friends is a pioneer in the no-kill movement and has helped reduce the number of animals killed in shelters from an estimated 17 million per year to around 378,000. Best Friends runs lifesaving programs across the country, as well as the nation’s largest no-kill animal sanctuary. Working collaboratively with a network of more than 4,400 animal welfare and shelter partners, and community members nationwide, Best Friends is working to Save Them All®. For more information, visit bestfriends.org.
