According to the ASPCA<\/a>, close to 8 million companion animals enter U.S. animal shelters every year.\u00a0 Most shelters don\u2019t have the funds or enough staff to give each of those animals the care and attention they deserve, so volunteers play a very important role. They provide the furry residents with much-needed care and affection until they find their forever homes.<\/p>\n Contact your local shelter or organization to ask how you can volunteer. If you aren\u2019t sure where you can volunteer in your area, visit the Shelter Pet Project<\/a> and enter your zip code to find animal shelters, groups, and rescues near you.<\/p>\n 2) Foster<\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019re thinking about adopting in the future, this is also the perfect way to find out if living with a dog or cat is a good fit for you, no strings attached! Most shelters and organizations will provide you with all the supplies you\u2019ll need to take care of your foster, so there\u2019s no need to worry about money. If you\u2019re interested, contact your local shelter or rescue and ask how you can become a foster for them.<\/p>\n 3) Donate<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s nice to be able to volunteer or foster, but for some, free time is hard to come by. Where you can\u2019t offer your time, though, you can offer your generosity and donate to the shelter or group of your choice. You also have more options than only giving money \u2013 supplies like food, beds, and toys are always in high demand and are appreciated just as much as cash donations!<\/p>\n![\"3](\"http:\/\/www.sittingforacause.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/cute-3165954_1920.jpg\")
<\/a>Volunteering is a very rewarding way to spend quality time with animals while bettering their lives. Most shelters and animal organizations wouldn\u2019t be able to help as many homeless animals as they do without the countless volunteers who work together to make this possible.<\/p>\n<\/a>A big reason why animal shelters and rescues are able to keep taking in more animals is that there are people who are willing and able to temporarily keep some of the animals in their homes until they are adopted. This frees up room for new animals coming in and lets the fostered animals experience the comfort of home life while getting socialization and love from their foster family.<\/p>\n<\/a>There are also some very easy ways to donate without having to spend any extra money. If you\u2019re a regular Amazon shopper, you can do your shopping through the AmazonSmile page<\/a> and the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate a portion of the price of eligible purchases to the organization of your choice.\u00a0 You can read more about AmazonSmile here<\/a>.<\/p>\n