“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains awakened.”
― Anatole France
Today is the day to recognize various animal shelters that provide care to millions of displaced animals. Animal Shelters not only rescue displaced animals, they find new homes for homeless pets and also rescue and rehabilitate injured or abused animals.
The Humane Society of the US founded National Animal Shelter week in 1996 to appreciate the role of animal shelter in communities throughout the country.
“According to reports, there are about 70 million stray animals in the United States, with up to eight million ending up in shelters. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reports that each year, only three million of these animals get adopted from the 3,500 animal shelters around the country.”
How to observe National Animal Shelter Appreciate Week
Adopt a Pet: Research what it takes to provide a safe and loving home.
Visit a Shelter: Take a tour to see how things work at your local shelter.
Donate to a Local Shelter: Donate or pick an item from the shelter’s wish list.
Shelters are a safe haven for animals, and a great place to adopt a new family pet. They also provide crucial services such as investigating cruelty and neglect, reuniting lost pets with their families, teaching kids to care about animals, and providing spay/neuter services to help reduce pet overpopulation.
There are approximately 3,500 animal shelters across the United States. It’s estimated 6–8 million homeless animals that seek refuge each year, but only about half are adopted. While 63 percent of American households include pets, fewer than 20 percent of them were adopted from shelters.
More ways to Observe National Animal Shelter Week
1. Connect with Kids- Help children learn about the importance of being kind to animals.
2. Be a Great Pet Parent- Keep your own pets healthy and current on vaccinations. Visit your veterinarian or ours in our wellness clinic.
3. Spay or Neuter your pet- Spay or Neutering is one of the most important things you can do to reduce the number of homeless pets.
Written and Submitted by GSS Agent#3013
Works Cited:
National Today.com
https://flaglerhumanesociety.org/2022/10/30/national-animal-shelter-appreciation-week/
PBS.org
/https://www-tc.pbs.org/parents/martha/pdf/MarthaHA_NationalAnimalAppreciationWeek.pdf
