Dogs are arguably one of the greatest pets ever because of the companionship they provide. Dogs can bring comfort to individuals because of the unconditional interaction that they pass on. Numerous research has shown that dogs can help reduce stress levels and the feelings of loneliness of humans.
However, not all dogs have a home, as some of them become stray animals. Fortunately, an institution, such as a dog shelter, provides a home to these loving pets who have experienced neglect or animal cruelty. Because of their functions, dog shelters play a significant role in the lives of stray dogs.
However, despite their importance, public knowledge regarding this is still minimal. This article will talk about dog shelters and the crucial things you need to know about them; to raise public awareness.
What Are Dog Shelters?
According to an article by Learning to Give, dog shelters provide housing for abandoned, surrendered, stray, or lost dogs. A dog shelter aims to provide animals with needed protection, food, and the chance to reunite with their previous owners. Dog shelters, such as VOSD Sanctuary, are known as “no-kill shelters” wherein dogs are not euthanized.
What Are the Things That Dog Shelters Do?
Dog shelters have several functions that mainly focus on rescue, caregiving, and rehabilitation of dogs. Some of these functions include the following:
Rescue Stray Dogs
Dog shelters work hand-in-hand with rescuers and other NGOs throughout their respective localities to ensure the betterment of stray dogs’ lives. They help stray dogs that have been critically injured or abandoned by their owners by adopting them and providing proper shelter and care.
Feed Stray Dogs
Stray dogs don’t have a regular supply of food; because of this, they rely on scavenging for something to eat. Stray dogs barely survive by receiving help from passersby, eating leftover food, garbage, and anything they can get their paws on. Fortunately, dog shelters provide a solution to this problem.
Dog shelters work with hundreds of organizations and connect with different individuals to ensure that stray dogs are being fed at least once a day in their respective areas. The food given to these stray dogs includes rice, chicken, potatoes, and essential vitamins and minerals.
Provide Medical Care to Dogs
One of the unfortunate scenarios that stray dogs is that they get injured because of malicious individuals. These individuals directly cause harm to stray dogs that lead to critical injuries, which are sometimes life-threatening. Without proper medical care, stray dogs that have suffered abuse will eventually die. Dog shelters prevent these occurrences.
Dog shelters help thousands of critically injured abandoned dogs and have administered hundreds of thousands of treatments for stray dogs that suffer from different medical conditions.
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Things You Can Do to Help Dog Shelters
Shelters, without a doubt, do exceptional things for dogs. However, dog shelters can’t do it all on their own because they don’t have unlimited resources and workforce. This means they need all the help that they can get. The following are the things that you can do to help these caring institutions:
Sponsor a Dog
Dog shelters have hundreds of permanent resident dogs that they acquired from rescue missions, adoption campaigns, etc. Each dog requires proper nutrition, maintenance, and medical care. One way you can help dog shelters is by sponsoring a dog.
When you sponsor a dog, you will be changing an animal’s life forever because it enables them to receive the best care that they can get. The best thing about sponsoring a dog is that it gives dog shelters the chance to adopt more stray dogs since they have more resources to accommodate more animals.
Become a Volunteer Caregiver
There is nothing more fulfilling than giving care directly to dogs found in dog shelters, especially dogs who have experienced abuse and injuries. By spending time and taking care of dogs housed in shelters, you will discover what it feels like to care for animals truly. As a volunteer caregiver, you will have a set of different responsibilities that you need to do.
Some of the tasks done by volunteer caregivers may include feeding the dogs, working with maintenance teams, grooming the dogs, and recording their measurements. Several people consider becoming a dog caregiver as one of the best jobs in the world.
Adopt a Dog
When people want to have a pet, they commonly buy a dog in the pet store or from a breeder. However, a better option would be to adopt dogs from a shelter. This is because when you adopt dogs from a shelter, you are not just getting another pet; you are saving a life.
Conclusion
Dog shelters are some of the greatest institutions and organizations in the world. This is because of their never-ending work in providing rehabilitation and lifelong care for dogs who need care. Check out a dog shelter today, and look for ways to make a positive impact!
This guest post published by Kiara Mac. If you want to write for us, contact us today.
