U.S. Animal Shelters Are Under More Pressure Than Ever. Here Are 6 Ways You Can Help

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Daily Paws
By: Austin Cannon
Published: June 20, 2023

As we get ready to officially enter summer, animal shelters across the country are readying themselves for their busy seasons. Unfortunately, many are already overcrowded.

Adoptions are down, and many animals are staying in shelters longer than before. All the while, shelters are still taking in animals. That’s put them at risk of euthanasia, especially dogs. If animal shelters—namely larger, open-admission facilities—can’t get enough animals out the door, they may have no choice but to euthanize.

So there’s plenty we can do to help. We originally wrote this story in 2022, but the recommendations are worth reiterating as animal shelters are still in crisis.

“Now’s the time to act,” says Stephanie Filer, executive director of Shelter Animals Count. “That’s certainly the call to action.”

Adopt

Yeah, it’s pretty obvious, but the best way to help a cat or dog in a shelter is to get them out of the shelter. Even in the best of times—when shelter pets are healthy and receive plenty of enrichment—the facilities can still be stressful places for our pets, Holly Sizemore, chief mission officer for Best Friends Animal Society, said last year.

She encourages potential pet owners to open their minds and maybe consider adopting pets who are different from the ones they’ve always envisioned.

“We just need a few people who may have been thinking about it to just take the leap and go visit their local shelter,” Sizemore tells Daily Paws.

Foster

Not ready for a long-term commitment? Try fostering a dog or cat. Jerrica Owen, executive director of the National Animal Care & Control Association, said that can make a “huge” difference, even if the fostering period only lasts a few days.

Fostering allows you, and the shelter staff, to see how pets act when they’re living outside the shelter, she says. That provides potentially valuable information to help them get adopted all while freeing up some much-needed space at the shelter. (Plus, there’s nothing wrong with a foster fail.)

Donate or Volunteer

Another obvious one. Your local shelter will probably welcome an extra set of hands to clean kennels or play with puppies. Have veterinary experience? Even better. Your local shelter could really use you.

We don’t all have extra time, however, so maybe all you can give is money or pet-care items. That helps! Chewy has a database that can identify shelters and rescues in your area that need supplies and toys. Others publish their wish lists on their websites.

Donate or Volunteer

Another obvious one. Your local shelter will probably welcome an extra set of hands to clean kennels or play with puppies. Have veterinary experience? Even better. Your local shelter could really use you.

We don’t all have extra time, however, so maybe all you can give is money or pet-care items. That helps! Chewy has a database that can identify shelters and rescues in your area that need supplies and toys. Others publish their wish lists on their websites.

Spay or Neuter Your Pet

These procedures are a responsible part of pet ownership, but they can also affect animal shelters. Spaying or neutering your pet prevents accidental pregnancies, which often end up with litters arriving at the nearby shelter or agency.

It’s especially important after millions of dogs and cats went unspayed and unneutered during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, contributing to the overcrowding many shelters are dealing with in 2023.

Spread the Word

If you know your local shelter or nonprofit could use some help, take to social media or talk to your friends to see who can donate or volunteer. You can even retweet or re-post lost pet notices, helping get them in front of the right pair of eyes.

More hands—typing, playing, or even shoveling—makes less work!