6 Ways to Help the Animal Shelter Without Spending Money

My first suggestion is to volunteer! The animal shelter could always use a couple of extra hands to walk the dogs, give baths or even help potential adopters pick out dogs. We only have one shelter. Our local shelter is called the Animal Care and Adoption Center and it is located at 203 Harrison in Texarkana, Arkansas. They are open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you want to reach them by phone you should dial 870-773-6388.

I found this story on pet360.com and wanted to share it with all of the other animal lovers out there.

If your budget is on a short leash (and whose isn’t?), you’ll find many ways to help shelter pets through your online activity. Some require absolutely no expenditure; others offer a way to generate a donation as you’re shopping online but without spending any extra money.

Play a trivia game at FreeKibble.com and FreeKibbleKat.com.

Every day, a pet-related question in Bow-Wow Trivia and Meow Trivia challenges animal lovers. Click on an answer and, right or wrong, you’ll be donating 10 pieces of kibble to a homeless dog or cat. Since their founding in 2008 by then-11-year-old Mimi Ausland, these popular sites have served up 8 million meals to shelter pets!

Click to give.

A partner of Petfinder.com, daily clicks at http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com provide food and care for homeless animals.

Shop through a charitable shopping portal.

Several sites allow you to conduct your online shopping and designate a recipient for a donation at no extra expense to you. At AdoptaShelter.com, shop over 400 online retailers and designate your donation to your own local animal shelter. Other sites like GoodShop and iGive.com offer a wide selection of animal-related charities that can benefit from purchases at numerous retailers. For eBay shoppers, MissionFish.org raises money for many animal non-profits like Angel Acres Horse Haven which raised over $16,000 in one year alone.

 Turn your meals into meals for homeless pets.

The GoodDining program allows you to register a credit card and then earn up to 6 percent for your favorite cause—including shelters and rescues—when you dine out.

Turn your searches into donations.

Operated by the same organization as Goodshop and GoodDining,GoodSearch.com allows you to search the Internet using their toolbar or through their homepage. Each search then results in a donation to a favorite non-profit that you designate.

Ask your shelter about credit cards and loyalty cards.

If you’re considering getting a new credit card, ask your local shelter if they have their own credit card; some, like Pennsylvania’s Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley, have their own card and receive a donation with new signups. Others, like Texas’s Garland Pawsibilities, participate in grocery store loyalty programs, receiving donations based on the purchases of registered users. Check with your shelter to see which store programs they’re utilizing.

Whether you’re online searching, shopping, or just having fun, your efforts can lead to important donations for shelters—without any additional burden on your own budget.