Help Animals Find Homes—And Stay There!

Mission: Help pets find permanent homes by putting together a photo display, making “Adopt Me” t-shirts for dogs to wear in public, or creating cage cards that describe adoptable animals.  

Step 1: Make something! First, talk with someone at the shelter to find out where your help is needed most. Then pick one from the list of ideas below. 

● Make “Adopt Me” t-shirts or bandannas for shelter dogs to wear when they’re out in public. Get some bandannas or plain cotton t-shirts in different sizes. Using fabric paint or markers, decorate them with “Adopt Me!” and the name of the animal shelter. Dogs can wear them when they’re walked in public or brought to adoption events.

● Create cage cards to hang on the cages of adoptable pets. Talk to those at the shelter who work directly with the animals for details. Ask if you can play with the animals to learn their personalities. (Make sure you get permission first, and always have an adult with you when you're around shelter animals!) Then write up a card for each pet. Put the name, age, sex, breed (or breed combination), whether the animal is spayed or neutered, and any special needs. You can also include info like when they arrived at the shelter and the reason for being there (whether dropped off by the previous owner or picked up as a stray).

Be sure to draw attention to things visitors wouldn’t know just from walking by cages. For example, “Sparky has lots of energy and loves to play fetch,” or “Misty’s favorite thing to do is curl up on your lap for a nap.” Handwritten cards are harder to read, so make them on the computer if you can.

Step 2: Make the most of it. Just as important as helping animals find homes is making sure they stay there—for life! Do the activities below to educate the public about an issue that affects the group you’re helping.

● Hand out free fliers in your community. Ask if the organization has their own fliers or make your own. You can also go to www.hsus.org (or e-mail us) for brochures on spaying or neutering your pets, getting animals from shelters instead of pet shops, keeping cats indoors, making sure pets always wear ID tags, finding animal-friendly rental housing, and other topics.

Set up a booth in a shopping area, vet’s office, library, or community center. You could also try an event such as a concert or county fair. (Make sure you get permission first.) Display your free handouts, as well as a bulletin board with photos of the shelter’s adoptable animals. Be sure to also have a canister to collect donations.

● Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. Ask a parent or teacher to help you (or write to us). Before you send your letter, ask if someone at the shelter would like to review it. For tips and a sample letter, visit our Speak Up for Animals! guide.

Step 3: Make us aware. Talk to the shelter staff to see what effect your project had. Once you’re done, fill out our Mission: Accomplished form.