Did you know that you can walk dogs and play with cats at your local animal shelter? Its a great way to workout, find a new friend and GIVE back to your community.
When I started volunteering at my local animal shelter. Naïvely, I asked the staff, “How do you get all the dogs out in the morning to potty?” I was stunned to learn that it’s common for shelter dogs to wait to pee, poop, sleep, eat and wait for several hours until someone can get around to taking them out.
This was a perfect transition from having a pet for me. In the beginning, volunteering my heart ached for all the forgotten friends. But day after day, it became easier and these simple walks and other activities were making a huge difference. I was giving animals exercise, a chance to potty outdoors, lessons on manners, praise, confidence and the human companionship they greatly missed, and they gave back with licks and purrs. At points I not sure who was helping who.
If dog walking isn’t your thing. One of the best things about the shelters is that you can go and play with the cats or volunteer at the front desk, and most of them have work you can do from home that matches your skill set. Like blogging, social media, video editing. Their are lots of opportunities to help. I am a big dog walker its fun and rewarding. Why not skip the gym next and head over to your local animal shelter and walk a dog?
Checkout NKLA , Best Friends, or your local shelter.
