PAW IT

FORWARD

By Sheryl Green

Is there any better feeling than waking up to find extra money in your bank account? (Well, yes… but we’ll get to that shortly). Most Las Vegans received their stimulus money and/or tax refunds and while many individuals are currently deciding which bills to pay with this money, some have been less impacted by the pandemic and find themselves with “found money” to play with. What is there to do with that extra cash burning a hole in your bank account? Consider the animals!

That’s right, local animal rescues have suffered from a decrease of donations due to the pandemic’s financial complications. With so many Las Vegans becoming ill and unable to care for their animals, those same rescues have seen an influx in homeless pets. Thankfully, you are in a position to help!

Here are a few ways that you can pay (or paw) it forward and make a real difference in the lives of homeless animals in your community.

DONATE MONEY

The average animal lover would be shocked (and a little bit frightened) to see how much it costs to save our beloved fur babies. From basic vetting (spay and neuter, vaccinations, and microchipping) to more expensive medical procedures, food and supplies, and the “overhead” that no one likes to think about (facility costs to keep the animals safe, marketing to spread the word, employees to care for the animals), the costs can be staggering.

Every donation helps keep an animal off the streets and out of the shelter. For rescues with community support programs, your donation can feed or provide veterinary care to an animal whose family would otherwise have to surrender them.

DONATE ITEMS

While dogs and cats are not the least bit materialistic, they still need stuff! Items like food, litter, collars, toys, crates, and more. Most organizations provide supplies for their fosters and need to have items on hand when a dog or cat goes into a foster home. With kitten season upon us, many will need large quantities of kitten food and formula. If the rescue you plan to support has a facility, they’ll need cleaning supplies and office supplies to continue their good work. Most rescues will have an Amazon or Chewy Wishlist to provide guidance on their preferred products and their current needs.

SPONSOR AN ANIMAL

Sometimes, you wish you could make an animal a part of your family, but you can’t possible add another one to your pack. You can always sponsor an animal, either covering a portion (or all!) of their medical costs, or sponsoring their adoption fee.

Sponsor Us!

VOLUNTEER OR FOSTER

If your stimulus check is going right towards bills, or you’ve already allotted it for a big purchase you need to make, there are still ways you can help. Animal rescues are always in need of volunteers to walk dogs, socialize the animals, clean their kennels, and network the fur babies so they can get adopted faster. If you’ve got space in your home, why not consider fostering?

Waking up to find extra money in your bank account is only the second best feeling in life. The actual best feeling is the knowledge that you are saving the life of an innocent animal. Donate, volunteer, or foster… your heart will be fuller than your bank account could ever be.

Sheryl Green is an author, writing coach, and passionate animal advocate, serving as the Director of Communications for Hearts Alive Village Las Vegas. Find her at www.sherylgreenspeaks.com.