Local rescues and shelters in Southern California are in crisis. Real, urgent, animals-are-dying crisis. And the people running these operations are exhausted. So, how to help animal shelters and rescues right now is the question! They are begging for help in ways I’ve never seen before. By the way, I see this because I’m a pet portrait artist in California that is involved in my pet rescue community.
I know you care. I know it because you’re here, reading this, and you’re someone who loves animals. So let me tell you exactly what you can do at every level of capacity. Please don’t give up because you’re overwhelmed. Just scroll below and choose ONE way that feels like the best way for you to help AND then share this post!
If You Can: Adopt
If your life has room for another animal: the space, the time, the energy, please consider adopting from a local shelter or rescue right now. Not a breeder, not a pet store. Consider a dog or cat who is running out of time. Start at adoptapet.com or petfinder.com, or go directly to your local shelter. Just because a pet is at the shelter or in a rescue does not mean they are bad or have issues! There’s plenty of great animals there relinquished because their owner died, or their owner had to move and cannot take that breed to their new place (ugh, hate that) or maybe someone had to flee a domestic violence situation (ooo, did you know SafePlaceForPets.org shares pet-friendly places to do WITH your pet or other options so you don’t need to relinquish your pet or if you’re military, no need to relinguish your pet when you deploy. Instead, contact DogsOnDeployment.org to find a foster for you while you’re gone!)
If you adopt, please keep in mind the 3, 3, 3 rule: 3 days to decompress, 3 weeks to settle down, 3 months to be themselves).
Here’s just a few of our most recent pets that we adopted from different rescues.
If You Can’t Adopt: Foster
Fostering saves lives in a way that’s hard to overstate. When you foster, you open up a kennel space for another animal who might otherwise not make it. You also give a frightened dog or cat their first experience of a real home, which makes them infinitely more adoptable.
You don’t have to keep them forever. You just have to love them for a little while. Contact your local rescue about their foster programs; most will provide supplies and vet care.
If You Can’t Foster: Give Time
Many shelters allow volunteers to take kennel-stressed dogs on day outings: just a walk, a car ride, a few hours somewhere that isn’t a concrete kennel. For a dog sitting in that environment, it’s everything. Some shelters even have cute report cards that you can fill out for the dog to educate possible adopters on what they are really like!
- Contact your local animal shelter about their volunteer and day-trip programs
- Local rescues always need help at adoption events, transporting animals, and fostering assessments
If You Can’t Give Time: Donate
Even $10 matters. Rescues are paying out of pocket for vet bills, transport, food, and supplies. Some are using their own credit cards. A small donation goes further than you think.
Reply to this post or reach out to me directly and I’ll connect you with vetted local rescues you can donate to.
If You Have a Social Media Following: Use It
This one doesn’t cost money or much time, just a tap of your finger. And it saves lives. Literally.
If you’re on Instagram, follow and share accounts like @iLoveRescue. Her videos spotlight pets who are on euthanasia lists. They are dogs and cats who are hours away from running out of time. Because of the visibility her posts create, many of those animals have been pulled by adopters and rescues who would never have known they existed. That’s the power of a share.
You don’t need thousands of followers for this to matter. You need one person in your network to see a dog’s face and say “that one.” Repost the pets. Share the urgent pulls. Tag a friend who’s been thinking about adopting. Your Instagram story disappears in 24 hours BUT the animal it saves doesn’t.
Other ways to use your platform:
- Share your local shelter’s adoption posts and euthanasia lists
- Repost rescue organizations calling for fosters or urgent pulls
- Post about local adoption events to your neighborhood pages and community groups
- Tag your city council members when shelters in your area are over capacity as public pressure works. Email them or show up and ask what they are doing about it.
Share This
You don’t have to do everything. But you can do something. Pick ONE from this list AND share this post. It might be the thing that gets the right pair of hands to the right rescue at exactly the right moment. Please pass it along. Thank you for caring for pets too!
