New Year’s Resolutions: Get Healthier, Happier and Help Shelter Pets at the Same Time

ATLANTA, Jan. 3, 2024 – Shelter Animals Count (SAC), the most trusted and current source for animal sheltering data, urges folks to resolve to get healthier, happier and help homeless pets all at the same time. There’s no better time to get involved, as recent estimates show there are nearly 245,000 additional pets waiting in the shelter system as we move into 2024, compared to this time last year. This means the shelter population grew by nearly a quarter million animals in 2023. This is critical for shelters, who were already overwhelmed and overcapacity at the end of 2022, and now bring an even larger burden into 2024.

Nationally, shelters are going into their fourth year of having too many animals and not enough adoptions — especially for dogs, according to SAC. Intake is up, and adoptions are down, but you can help! 

This New Year’s, resolve to be part of the solution, and consider ways to help shelter animals while helping yourself at the same time. Studies show that volunteering and doing good for a cause can also benefit our own mental health and well-being, with the potential to reduce stress as well as improve mood, self-esteem and happiness. And that’s just the beginning of the benefits! 

Here are a few ideas:

Volunteer to walk shelter dogs – Giving dogs a break from the noise and activity of the shelter helps them decompress and release stress and anxiety. Letting dogs explore and sniff outside is great enrichment, and it’s good exercise for both of you. Getting out for even a ten minute walk with a pet may extend your life. Regular walking can lower the risk of cardiovascular and other diseases, and reduce cholesterol and blood sugar. It can even improve sleep and memory function.

Dogs who get regular walks enjoy not only the physical exercise, but also stress relief and mental stimulation, helping them remain more calm and relaxed as they wait in the shelter. You can also volunteer to help with training – helping dogs learn basic commands and to walk politely on a leash – to improve their chances of getting adopted more quickly.

Foster a pet – Even for a sleepover, a weekend, or a longer stay, new research on dogs shows that they’re 14 times more likely to be adopted after time in a foster home. You can get adorable photos of them in your home, learn all about their personality, and help them find their forever home. (That is, if it doesn’t turn out to be yours!) And as a bonus for you, studies found that eye contact with dogs causes both participants to experience a surge of oxytocin, a hormone associated with love, bonding and positive feelings. In general, contact with animals has been shown to reduce stress, lower blood pressure and lessen anxiety and depression.

Give a shelter dog a Doggie Day Out – Take a dog for a hike, play in a park or have a spa day at a groomer. The recent research on dogs shows that even brief outings increase their chances of being adopted by 5 times. You can even enjoy a healthy lunch together on a dog-friendly patio.  Be sure to bring along some treats approved by the shelter to share with your doggie date.

Volunteer for a shelter or rescue – Studies show that being kind and compassionate clearly benefits our well-being  and  happiness, and may even help us live longer. Volunteering creates a sense of belonging and reduces loneliness and isolation, helping us build, maintain and strengthen our social connections. Volunteering can help us make new friends and connect with our communities, and contact with cute dogs and cats is always a bonus for elevating our mood! And think of all the post-worthy pet pics you’ll get while volunteering, to inspire your friends to get involved too.

Adopt a pet – Adopting a pet from a shelter or rescue is good for you! Not only do you get to feel good about saving a life, but the CDC reports that studies have shown that the bond between people and their pets is linked to several health benefits, including decreased blood pressure, cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels, feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and symptoms of PTSD.

 Additionally, few people will argue that adopted animals reward their people with a depth of unconditional love that pets from other sources don’t seem to rival. They seem to know they were given a second chance, and they spend their lives repaying their people. How’s that for an ongoing mood boost?

There are many ways you can resolve to be part of the solution to the shelter crisis in 2024. Animal organizations urgently request and appreciate community support, asking that people adopt or foster from local shelters or rescue organizations, spay or neuter their pets, and volunteer or donate.