Consider bringing fosters home for holidays

By Dr. Beth Leermakers

As you wrap up your holiday preparations, there’s still time to help make the holidays brighter for homeless animals.

Support Animals with Your Holiday Gift Shopping

Animal calendars make terrific gifts. In-Sync Exotics’ calendar features the stunning big cats who reside at their Wylie sanctuary (isecalendar.com/home). Proceeds from sales of Arlington Animal Services’ calendar support their educational programs (arlingtonwebstore.com/arlingtonanimalservicescalendar2020.aspx).

Gift wrapping for a cause. Take your presents to Half Price Books in Plano this Saturday, Dec. 21 from noon-3 p.m., and the Animal Rescue Crusaders of Texas volunteers will wrap them for you for a donation. (dallasdoglife.com/event-pro/holiday-gift-wrapping-with-animal-rescue-crusaders/)

Use Amazon Smile (smile.amazon.com) to support your favorite charity group when you purchase anything from Amazon. There are many animal rescue groups to choose from.

Foster a Dog or Cat During the Holidays.

Silent Night at the Shelter. Foster an adult/large dog from Dallas Animal Services for a few days (or longer) during the holidays. No foster orientation is required for this special program. Just stop by the shelter during their open hours. Visit dallasanimalservices.org for more information. 

Foster a dog or cat for a local rescue group. White Rock Dog Rescue (whiterockdog.org) and A Voice for All Paws, a cat rescue group in the White Rock Lake area, (avoiceforallpaws.com) are among the many DFW-area rescue groups that need foster homes and volunteers, during the holidays and throughout the year.

Work on Your New Year’s Resolutions

Exercise while you save lives. Join Dallas Animal Services’ D90 Dog Runners. The D90 Dog Runners are Dallas Animal Services volunteers who save lives by providing high energy dogs with the exercise and stimulation they crave! 

When high energy dogs get the exercise they need, they enjoy a higher quality of life, are less susceptible to illness, behave better in their kennels and have higher chances of adoption! You must attend a volunteer orientation. (dallascityhall.com/departments/dallas-animal-services/Pages/D90-Dog-Runners.aspx.)

Volunteer at a shelter or rescue group. Not a runner? That’s OK. Dallas Animal Services and other shelters also need volunteers to walk the dogs, play fetch with them and socialize the cats. Rescue groups need people to transport animals between the shelter and vet clinic or foster home, and to help at weekend adoption events. 

Society for Companion Animals needs help taking dogs to vet appointments (often in Oak Cliff), assembling crates for transport (Oak Cliff), and keeping (mostly small to medium-sized) dogs overnight for one night and then dropping them off at DFW airport early the next morning. (societyforcompanionanimals.org/how-you-can-help).

Use the free Walk for a Dog app every time you walk or run, with or without a dog, and money will be donated to your chosen shelter or rescue group (at no cost to you) for every mile you log. I’ve walked 595 miles this past year. (wooftrax.com). 

De-clutter. Clean out your closets and donate linens and other household items to a shelter. I recently cleared out much-needed closet space by donating 10 e-collars to a rescue group that saves money on vet bills by re-using the plastic cones of shame. Win win! 

Shelter dogs and cats appreciate your old towels, sheets, blankets and newspapers. 

Make a difference. Donate food, treats, toys, cleaning supplies and/or office supplies. Check your favorite shelter or rescue group’s website to view their wish list. When in doubt, call and ask what they need. They’ll be happy to tell you. 

I order dog food and kitty litter for a small, rural, south Texas shelter on the Tractor Supply Company website, and the staff pick it up at their local store. 

Chuy.com and Amazon (Smile) also make it easy and affordable to have supplies shipped to your shelter or rescue group.    

Thank you for supporting animals in need. 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!