Do You Love Animals?
BLOG
Do You Love Animals?
On March 21, 2016
On March 21, 2016 Imagine if everyone who ever uttered the words, “I love animals” did something to help them every day, every week or every month.
Many people think it takes an enormous commitment of time, money, energy, or all of the above to make a difference, but it doesn’t have to. Please consider tackling even one or two items that sound like the best match for you and your family, and be part of the solution:
Donate money:
- Even a $5.00 donation means a lot to a local shelter.
- Consider asking for donations to your neighborhood shelter or rescue group in lieu of Christmas or birthday gifts next year; see if you can convince your family to do the same.
Donate items:
- Most organizations have regular ‘Wish lists’ they post on Facebook pages or websites.
- Items like cat litter, dog leashes, bleach, laundry detergent, blankets etc. are often in short supply and greatly appreciated.
Donate time:
- Good volunteers are the life-blood of our non-profit groups.
- Animal shelter volunteer duties take on many forms, so even if you are unable to walk dogs all day, clean cages or scoop litter boxes, volunteer coordinators are excellent at matching the tasks at hand with the skills and preferences of the volunteers ready to help.
Adopt:
- If you have room in your home, your heart and your budget, always consider expanding your family by one (or two) more by adopting a pet in need from a shelter.
- Make sure he or she is a good match for your family, and remember they are forever.
Afraid of Commitment? Foster:
- If you are unable to adopt, foster shelter animals.
- Foster homes save lives. Typically, fostering means taking kittens or puppies who are too young to put up for adoption, helping an animal who is a little too shy to be on a main adoption floor, or providing care for a dog or cat in transition after a medical treatment or surgery.
- Providing animal foster care is temporary, expenses should be paid by the shelter organization rather than the foster parent, and it’s a crucial part of any shelter’s success in helping animals.
REALLY Afraid of Commitment? Help Community Cats and TNR:
- Trap, neuter, return. (and manage)
- There are colonies of feral/community cats all over the United States.
- The most effective and humane way to manage these colonies is to trap the cats humanely, have them altered and vaccinated, return them to their territory and provide food, water and shelter.
- Every step of this process requires volunteers.
Water:
- Provide fresh water outside your house every day, for any animal who might need it.
- It does not get much easier or cheaper than that, but fresh water on really hot and really cold days… saves lives.
Educate:
- Tell everyone you know to please spay and neuter their pets, provide for them, love them, and know that they are forever.
-
Go all in: Consider a career in Animal Science.
- You do not have to go to school for a thousand years, spend a million dollars and become a veterinarian to work with animals.
- You can become a veterinary technician, a veterinary assistant, earn a paid position as part of a shelter or rescue organization team, help animals by earning a degree in animal welfare and management, study animal behaviors, manage a doggie daycare center… the possibilities are endless.
- Learn what you love, and love what you do.
- Talk to us if you want information on how to pursue a career working with animals as a vet tech, animal care professional, animal groomer or just to find out about our amazing animal rescue partners throughout Ohio. Stautzenberger College offers diploma and degree programs in Animal Sciences.
Simply by NOT being part of the problem, you ARE part of the solution.
Learn more about Stautzenberger's Animal Science programs here!
March 21, 2016
Danya Linehan has been working with animals since 1983, practicing veterinary medicine since 1993, and has been a proud member of the Stautzenberger College Family since 2006. (Danya Linehan is old). Dr. Danya is the Program Chair for Animal Welfare and Management Program with the College.
As the part time shelter veterinarian at Cat Welfare Association, she is part of an amazing animal welfare team.
Danya shares her home, her rescue mission and her life with fellow animal advocate Mike Parks. Mike and Danya are owned by a lively crew of cats; they are currently one cat shy of being the crazy cat couple.