Linda Pawlik Picardo has been an animal activist for years and maintains that helping animals that are in need is one of the most rewarding things that an individual can experience. Unfortunately, a lot of people that would be interested in volunteering or contributing to organizations abstain from it for fear of not knowing the “right” way to do so. Here, Linda Pawlik Picardo includes a few ways that an individual can help animals in need.
One of the ways that someone can effectively help animals in need is to adopt or foster. Adopting and fostering gives animals one of the core things that they require to live happy lives- a loving home. Adoption is one of Linda’s favorite ways to help in part because it enriches our own lives as well. Pets that were given an unfair start at life are often some of the sweetest animals that you can encounter and developing a bond with an adopted pet truly never gets old. Currently, Linda Pawlik Picardo realizes that the adoption process is more streamlined that it was in the past. We can view what pets occupy the shelter online, and many shelters even break down details such as their personality, how well they get along with children or other animals, and toys and treats they enjoy. This means that, should you adopt or foster a pet, you can get an idea of how to best be there for them early in the process.
Adopting and fostering are great, but not everyone that wants to help animals is ready for or even wants a pet. For this reason, many people decide that it is the best course of action to donate supplies to shelters, rescues, and animal wellness organizations instead. Shelters will often have their donation policies listed with an emphasis on most needed supplies. Commonly, shelters and organizations will need items such as leashes, toys, food, cleaning supplies, towels, newspapers, and other items that would reasonably be used. Linda Pawlik Picardo offers the caveat that individuals that are donating should be honest with themselves about if their supplies are in a good enough condition to give to other animals. Shelters typically have policies that tell whether they accept items that are gently used. If your supplies are not in a suitable condition for donating, you could always consider donating money or buying new supplies specifically for the organization you have in mind.
Volunteering is another method that Linda suggests to individuals that want to get active with supporting animals. Shelters and organizations frequently need volunteers that can perform tasks such as feeding the animals, cleaning kennels, manning the phones, spending with the animals, or several other logistical functions within the building. There are many volunteer opportunities that people are even unaware of, such as helping with cleanup of the kennels and surrounding areas after adoption events. Volunteering can become time consuming, but it is immensely rewarding by nature it’s nice to know that that time is always used to the benefit of the animals. Shelters will usually have a minimum age requirement for volunteers, but those that are too young to volunteer can still find other ways to contribute to causes if they have a passion for it.
