Make volunteering a family affair

By Dr. Beth Leermakers

Is “make a difference” on your list of New Year’s resolutions? If so, there are plenty of opportunities to help homeless animals while keeping your other resolutions (such as getting more exercise, decluttering your house, or meeting new people). 

Help animals without leaving your house 

Donate items from your favorite shelter or rescue group’s Amazon or Chewy wish list (links posted on their website). Here’s Dallas Animal Services’ general shelter wish list: amazon.com/hz/wishlist.

Support homeless pets without spending any money 

Donate used linens and other household items to Dallas Animal Services or another shelter. Many shelters need towels, sheets, blankets and newspapers. They may also accept gently used collars, leashes and cat/dog toys. Check with the shelter before you load up your car. Dallas Animal Services (bedallas90.org/donate/) will take flat sheets but not fitted sheets. 

Donate household items to Donate 2 Impact (r2sdfw.com). Need a good reason to de-clutter your closets and cupboards? Charitable organizations receive money for every pound donated during their designated time period (think: heavy items like small appliances and electronics). Passport for Paws, a group for which I foster, participates in this fundraiser (during specific weeks). When you schedule pickup (online), you can select the charity you want to support; then mark your bags or boxes with that charity’s name.  

Use the WoofTrax app. Money will be donated to your favorite shelter or rescue group every time you walk or run (with or without a dog). There is no cost to you. Visit wooftrax.com for more information, and then search for the free app in the app store. Join the challenges for more ways to help. I’ve logged almost 13,000 miles since I started using the app years ago. Yes, I walk a lot of dogs.

Volunteer at the shelter

Walk or run with shelter dogs.  Dallas Animal Services (bedallas90.org/volunteer or and the Garland shelter (garlandtx.gov/3873/Volunteer-Program) need people to exercise the dogs. 

Socialize cats. Cat lovers can spend time snuggling the cats, helping them become more adoptable. 

Photograph cats or dogs. Good pictures can save a shelter animal’s life. Donate your time and talent to make homeless animals shine. 

How children can make a difference

Volunteer at Dallas Animal Services. Teens (ages 13–15) can volunteer in animal handling opportunities with a parent or legal guardian (1:1 supervision of minor volunteers is required). 

Collect donations. Children can ask for donations to the animal shelter instead of birthday gifts. 

Take a dog out for a Doggy Daycation. DAS fosters or volunteers who have completed the onboarding process can spend a day with a dog in the community. The Garland shelter has a Borrow a Buddy program for people who have completed volunteer training. Visit frastx.org/volunteer/ to sign up for Garland’s volunteer program. Choose a dog who’s child-friendly to make it a family outing. 

Be a pet taxi service 

Rescue groups often need transporters to pick up dogs or cats at the shelter and take them to the vet or foster home. Freedom rides (springing an animal from the shelter) are the best! If your car is big enough, I highly recommend using a crate to keep the cat or dog safe and your car clean. Some shelters, and most rescue groups, have crates they can loan you. I’ve “adopted” several crates during big trash pickup weeks in my neighborhood, or you might find an inexpensive (or free) one listed on NextDoor. 

Care for a cat or dog, temporarily

Shelters and rescue groups need foster homes to save lives. Fostering isn’t always easy, and it’s rarely free (although the shelter or rescue group should supply food and a crate and provide all medical care). However, fostering is very rewarding. If you’re new to fostering, consider caring for a cat or dog for a few days to a few weeks (“temp fostering”) until s/he leaves on transport to another state. I have temp fostered for, and highly recommend, Passport For Paws (passportforpaws.org), Mike’s Chance Animal Rescue (mikeschanceanimalrescue.com/foster.htm), and Highway Hounds (highwayhoundstx.org/fostering). All three groups need short term foster homes for dogs and cats. When I foster until the dog is adopted, I foster for Legacy Humane Society (legacyhumanesociety.org), whose president lets foster parents choose the dogs we want to save.  

Volunteer Opportunities with Other Animals

Work with horses and/or people. Equest, a therapeutic riding program in South Dallas, needs volunteers to help with riding classes, work in the barn, fix things and more. Volunteer orientation is required. Visit equest.org/opportunities. 

Big cats. In Sync Exotics in Wylie (insyncexotics.org/volunteer) has a variety of volunteer needs. 

Check volunteermatch.org for animal-related (and other) volunteer opportunities in North Texas. If you’d like suggestions for ways/groups to help, please email me at [email protected]. 

Happy New Year!