I am always overwhelmed by the generosity of the local pet shelters and rescue missions.  When I want to adopt a pet or visit the local shelters, I am in awe of all the volunteers who work countless hours for the cats and dogs in the shelter.  The volunteers are so generous with their time and I always try to advise others to help in any way they can.

In fact, you don’t have to work in the pet industry to help at your local shelter or rescue group. If you’ve been thinking of volunteering, but don’t know if you have a skill that could be useful, there are countless ways to help.

There are many positions that shelters need volunteers to provide. No matter what you do for a living, the chances are that you have a skill that could help a shelter and the animals that are waiting for their new home.

Below are some recommendations on how you can help your local shelter.

You’re good with numbers

If you have basic book-keeping skills, shelters always need someone who can crunch some numbers and keep their records up to date. Any non-profit must keep good documentation and if you have the skills, they can certainly use your knowledge.

Social Media Expertise

If you’re skilled with online social networks and/or work in social media, you could volunteer to keep the shelter’s website updated, put listings on other websites like Adopt-a- Pet and/ or keep their twitter and Facebook accounts current.  You can also write a little blurb about the shelter and post them your Facebook page and provide a link to their website.

Legal Expertise

Shelters always need people who have legal skills. If you have some experience in this field, it comes in handy when reviewing documentation about contracts, local laws, and copyrights.  The contracts are generally fairly straight forward and a paralegal could also do wonders helping the shelters.

Building or Repairing

Are you good at building or repairing fences, cages, etc? You could volunteer to help repair, build, or add on to the shelter. Repairing an old fence, painting a room, or building a cat tree are all great ways to volunteer your time.   It isn’t easy to find a great handyman and your help would be greatly appreciated.

Have a love for pets

The most important requirement in helping your local shelter is to have a big heart and to love animals.  Shelter and rescue groups are always looking for people who will spend time with their animals. Simply by walking the dogs or playing with the cats, their pets will remain happy and energized. If the pets stay vital and happy, then they are more likely to be adopted.

Volunteer at a shelter today and you and your new-found pet friends will be all the better for it.

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