There are many ways you can help dogs in rescue situations. You could volunteer with a rescue group or shelter and see what assignments might fit your lifestyle and schedule. You could walk dogs and play with cats, giving critters one-on-one attention while they are in the shelter. If you have more time, you could visit and assess potential adoptive homes. You could also help transport animals to and from shelters, foster homes, or new families.
Foster Homes
If you’ve ever wondered whether there’s room in your life for another dog or cat, you might try fostering an animal. This is simply providing shelter, training, comfort, and affection to an animal in your home for a few weeks. Your assessment of the animal can be used to match them with a permanent home that will suit their personality, activity level, and behavior.
Fostering depends on your own animals as well as the rescue. Our second Westie, Maggie Mae, was a social butterfly who loved spending time with other dogs. We fostered dogs until she reached her senior years and needed more of our attention. You also have to be sure the incoming dog has been cleared as free of any issues that might harm your family, including children and animals.
One of our mentors in Westie Rescue used to say, “All rescues come with baggage. We have to help them unpack.” This has always been the approach we’ve taken with the dogs we fostered, and we passed on this advice as we delivered dogs to their new homes.
Home Visits
Home visits fit into our current lifestyle. With each request, we can choose to take on the task or not. Since we don’t have a car, we often visit homes accessible by MBTA. Our understanding of city life helps us prepare a report that is fair to the rescue group and the prospective family.
Home visit volunteers are the eyes and ears of the people who process applications and make the decisions about placing dogs in what they call “forever” homes.
We also answer questions about the breed, and warn of possible dangers around the house that someone who has not lived with a tenacious terrier might not spot.
Transporting
Many rescue groups move dogs long distances with volunteer drivers. We’ve driven some of these runs and helped coordinate a Westie transport group for many years. A route is planned from the foster home that has the dog to where the pup can be handed over to the adoptive family. Coordinating transport is the type of job that can be done by any reliable person from their home.
There are also opportunities to transport by air if you are traveling between cities and would be willing to take a small dog in the cabin with you. We’ve been the local connection for volunteers flying into Logan.
Leaders & Worker Bees
Every rescue group needs leadership and worker bees. People make phone calls to shelters, pick up dogs at homes where they are being surrendered, take the dogs in rescue to veterinary visits, nurse them after surgery or as they recover from neglect, injury, or illness.
Finally, you can provide financial support. From writing a check to devoting your life, there is a place for you if you’d like to do your bit to help homeless animals. Pick a group, pick a task, and give it a try. Each success along the way will fill your heart with joy.
