Top 10 Reasons to Join Community Programming at an Animal Shelter
Animal Shelters are not only an amazing place to adopt your next furry companion but also a great way to get involved in a community. The animal shelter provides a versatile program of fun ways families can interact, play, and help support their organization. Here are Top 10 Reasons why community programming at Animal Shelters rock and why you should join in on the fun.
Top 10 Reasons why community programming at Animal Shelters rock
Host Birthday Parties
Did you know you can host a birthday party at an animal shelter? Many animal shelters have opportunities to host a birthday party or an event. It is a great way to help animals in need and donate proceeds to the shelter in lieu of gifts. Additionally, you might get a tour of the shelters and some quality time with the furry visitors.
Tours of Shelter
Schools can arrange field trips to take tours of their local animal shelter. This is a wonderful learning opportunity for school-age kids to learn about pet care, pet health, and various breeds firsthand on-site.
Education School Programs
Animal Shelters often can take the school program on the road and offer educational programs and tours at schools. This is a great opportunity if the school is unable to take a field trip to the shelter themselves. Also, some larger organizations have a mobile school bus that can provide hands-on interaction and educational tools.
Participate in Fundraising
Would you like to participate in a walk-a-thon, toy drive, or food drive? Join up with your local animal shelter! Many organizations are regularly looking for fun ways to raise funds for their organization while involving the community.
Read-a-Book Program
Read-a-Book programs are an innovative and fun way to engage with animals at a local shelter. The program encourages children and adults to read to cats and dogs while they are in the shelter. It has been shown to provide comfort and bonding time for the animals. Additionally, it helps to develop and enhance reading skills in children.
Attend Summer Camp
Summer Camps at a local animal shelter are a fun, educational way for your animal-loving kid to become involved! Also, there are a wide variety of camps depending on your local organization: cats and dogs, critter or bug camp, and vet camp. Similarly, most summer camp programming is suited for ages 5-teen.
Movie Night
A fun way to spend Friday night is movie night at your local shelter! Likewise, who doesn’t want to watch a movie with cats and dogs? So pack the sleeping bag, pop some popcorn, because we’re going to watch a movie surrounded by our favourite furry companions. Also, many local shelters provide food, beverages, and give the opportunity to visit with the animals.
Teen Club
Teen clubs are available as a positive and educational opportunity for teens who love animals and want to assist with animal welfare. The club provides educational platforms, workshops, specialized training on volunteer, and versatile classes. Also, many teen clubs have an application requirement process and have limited availability.
Teen Volunteer Program
Most animal shelter organizations require that volunteers be at least eighteen years of age. With that being said, some animal shelters provide a teen volunteer program where teens can learn about the volunteer program. Also, there are specialized training opportunities along with classes and workshops to set the teen up for success.
Outreach
Outreach is an important component in programming for animal shelters. Education is a key factor in raising awareness in the community and making trending topics available to the public. Also, outreach programs provides pertinent resources, workshops, and guest speakers open to community members.
“The main objective of an animal shelter is to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome”, states on-site Trupanion shelter coordinator Katherine Britton. Additionally, they look for community involvement and support throughout the journey. “Community programming has an educational platform that is imperative to animal shelters. Education is such an important component of everything we are doing”.
Your local animal shelters likely have an abundance of versatile programs, classes, and events that you and your family can participate in.
Above all, it gives you the opportunity to support your local animal shelter, learn new skills, stay active in the community and help many animals in need.
Author: Kelli Rascoe