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Summary: With the economy hitting every body's wallets hard, how can we still help the animals without breaking the bank. Even I, an ardent animal lover and advocate, am doing very poorly in the donations department. But fear not! there are still many tips and tricks that you can follow to ensure that you can still do your part to help and give back!
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With the economy hitting every body’s wallets hard, how can we still help the animals without breaking the bank? Even I, an ardent animal lover and advocate, am doing very poorly in the donations department. But fear not! There are still many tips and tricks that you can follow to ensure that you can still do your part to help and give back!
- Clean your garage (or closet). Many animal rescue groups have thrift stores that sell new and gently used items donated to them by caring citizens. Have a pile of boxes taking up space in your garage? This may be the answer to clearing some space!
- Don’t just search, GoodSearch! GoodSearch is a search engine which donates 50-percent of its revenue to the charities and schools designated by its users. Simply go to www.goodsearch.com, select the charity of your choice, and start clicking!
- Make and donate kitty toys to your local shelter and rescue groups. Make this a fun little community project. Its easy to make no-sew cat toys out of scraps and fabrics, or even socks. Get a local fabric store on board to donate some scrap material that they have laying around, or rally your friends and neighbors to donate clean, gently used, socks. The entertainment that these provide for cats in a shelter waiting for a new home is extremely rewarding and enriching to their lives. For some great DIY tips in cat toy making, check here!
- Leave that baby alone! Did you know that many times when you see a baby animal in the wild; it is not orphaned or abandoned? Its Mother merely went to find some food! While it is human nature to want to help what appears to be a baby in distress; taking it away from its Mom can do more harm than good. Unless the baby appears to be in immediate danger from a predator, car, bad location, or appears physically ill, its best chances of survival is in the care of its Mother.
- Thank you for not smoking. Don’t forget; animals lungs are just as sensitive to second-hand smoke as human lungs; they can even develop asthma! If you have pets, or are around animals, spare their lungs and step aside to smoke. Or even better, consider quitting and save an animal, and yourself!
- Tie those onions and grapes tight! Onions and grapes are two foods that are very toxic to dogs and cats. While you may be careful about keeping them away from your own companion animal, remember that stray dogs and cats often scavenge trash! Make sure that your trash bag is tied tight, and if possible, “piggy back” your discarded onions and grapes into another bag or container that you are already throwing away, so that its extra protection for the stray little critters.
- Thump your hood! During the cold winter months especially, outdoor cats and wildlife love nothing more than cozying up inside your warm car engine for the night. Starting your engine with an animal inside of it can be a disaster for both the cat, and your car. Before you leave for work in the morning, give that hood a good thump!
- Only buy shade-grown coffee. Ok, ok, this one does cost money – but if you are planning on buying coffee anyways, try and buy shade-grown coffee. Coffee that isn’t shade-grown often comes from coffee farms that are destroying the natural habitat of wildlife. The population of songbirds in North and South America has declined significantly due to coffee plantations. Shade grown coffee is grown around the trees, so the wildlife is not disturbed.
- Avoid buying products that contain palm oil. Palm oil is a rapidly growing commodity being used in commercial products, mostly food product, because it is cheap and contains no trans-fat. Aside from the fact that palm oil, while having no trans-fat, is ripe with saturated fat, the increasing production of palm oil is destroying the rain forest, and the inhabitants within it. The orangutan population especially has been affected by the mass-expansion of oil palm plantations. It is estimated that if the production of palm oil maintains, or increases, at its current rate, Orangutans could face extinction within 10 years.
- Volunteer your time. Go to your favorite search engine, in this case www.goodsearch.com, and type “animal rescue” in the search bar, and then the name of your city and state. You may be surprised at how many animal shelters and rescue organization are listed! They are always looking for new volunteers to help with fundraising events, foster care, and adoption events. Consider donating some time to help them with their tireless, and endless, efforts.