Animal shelter workers have a hard job. They deal with death, abuse, and frankly stories and sights most of us just couldn’t handle, every single day. On top of that many, of them are volunteers – they aren’t even getting paid to deal with all the emotional stress they endure. And those that are paid, are hardly paid a “living” wage. So it’s nice to take the time and let them know you appreciate everything they do for your community (imagine if all those animals were just wandering the street!?). November 1-7 is National Animal Shelter Appreciation Month, making it a great time to show your support for your shelter with a little something extra. We asked Catherine Steinke CPDT-KA, Canine Behavior Coach for Willamette Humane Society in Salem, Oregon to give us some ideas as to what shelters workers would appreciate most. Have another idea? Add it in the comments and if you are a shelter worker or volunteer, THANK YOU for all you do!
#1 – Janitorial Services
“Our human areas suffer because we are taking care of the animal areas first,” Steinke explains. “We’d love a deep clean weekly!”
#2 – Landscaping Service
Just like cleaning of human areas, the landscaping outside the shelter is often skipped to make sure the animals are getting all the care they need. After all, they are the first priority!
#3 – Towels and Bedding
People always forget about towels! How easy it is to go to Walmart and get a bundle of cheap towels, or even donate your old ones? Very and the shelter can definitely use them!
#4 – Enrichment toys for the animals
As most of you know, these are quite pricey. In fact, just a dozen toys can run several hundred dollars, which many shelters don’t have to spend on toys. So, even if just a dozen people bought one toy each, it could make a big difference to the animals at the shelter.
#5 – Treats, treats and more treats!
Another expense that adds up is treats. Most pet owners spend a couple hundred dollars on treats a year…for just one or two dogs! Now imagine if you had 50, 60, 100 dogs….you get the idea. Treats are always a nice donation!
#6 – DAP & Feliway diffusers
DAP & Feliway diffusers are pheromone-releasing products that help calm animals down. They are also pricey but, as you can imagine, really help the animals in the shelter.
#7 – Scholarships for training
This is such a great idea! If you are a dog trainer, it’s easy to volunteer some time to offer free training with adoption of certain shelter dogs. Not a trainer? Many trainers offer gift certificates that you can buy and then give to the shelter to pass on to the adopter. This can really help a dog get adopted.
#8 – Staff Gifts
As mentioned above, many people working at shelters are volunteers and even those who are luckily enough to be on staff do not get paid much. Steinke says staff members can really benefit from gift cards to Wal-Mart, Target, Home Depot, meal cards or coffee cards.
#9 – Snacks
Dropping off snacks at the shelter for the workers and volunteers is another way to say “thank you.” Whether its bagels and coffee or pizza, they will appreciate it! Just keep in mind many people who work in the animal industry are vegan or vegetarian.
