#GivingTuesday: Best Ways to Donate and Support Animals
Looking for ways to donate and support animal charities this holiday season? A good place to start is by checking out this list of organizations befitting animals of all kinds.
The holiday season is upon us, and it’s the perfect time to think about giving to others. That’s why the Good Dog Hotel & Spa team in Broad Ripple can’t wait for #GivingTuesday on Nov. 28., when so many dog lovers will show their support by donating to organizations that specifically help animals of all kinds.
What is #GivingTuesday?
#GivingTuesday is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and the shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving.
But where do you begin?
Well, it depends. While shelters and organizations certainly benefit from things like household items, cleaning supplies, bedding, toys and food, storage can become a problem. Plus, there might be an over-abundance of some things, but not nearly enough of another.
Donating supplies, time and resources is fantastic, but monetary donations are always appreciated, as they can be distributed according to where the biggest needs are. Here is a list of resources that can help you decide where to donate this holiday season. We thank you for your generosity and love for our beloved animals everywhere.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals® (ASPCA)
The ASCA is a national leader in the areas of rescue, adoption and welfare, and has worked for over 150 years to put an end to animal abuse and neglect. Their nationwide work includes:
- Saving animals from dog-fighting, puppy mills, hoarding and other cruelty-related situations.
- Providing animal victims of cruelty with life-saving medical care and behavioral rehabilitation.
- Helping thousands of animals find loving homes every single year.
- Responding to emergency situations when disaster strikes.
- Working with all levels of government to fight for stronger laws to protect animals.
And for more ideas on how you can help, check out “55 Ways to Help Animals” from the ASPCA website.
The Human Society of the United States
The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s most effective animal protection organization. Along with their affiliates, they provide hands-on care and services to more than 100,000 animals each year, and professionalize the field through education and training for local organizations. They drive transformational change in the U.S. and around the world by combating large-scale cruelties such as puppy mills, animal fighting, factory farming, seal slaughter, horse cruelty, captive hunts and the wildlife trade.
For local donations, visit the Humane Society of Indianapolis.
PetSmart Charities focuses exclusively on ending pet homelessness in the United States. They achieve this through adopting pets out of their PetSmart locations and funding spay/neuter programs. If your biggest goal in your donation is to end pet homelessness, then PetSmart Charities is the most direct way to fund that specific goal.
RedRover is best described as a charity that helps pets and owners in times of crisis. Its RedRover Responders program shelters and cares for animals displaced by events like natural disasters, criminal seizures, and hoarding cases. They also have a RedRover Relief program which provides financial help and resources for pets when their owners are going through economic hardship.
For over 30 years, Best Friends Animal Society has been running the nation’s largest no-kill sanctuary for companion animals and building effective programs that reduce the number of animals entering shelters. Donations to Best Friends Animal Society goes straight to work helping tens of thousands of animals – both at the Sanctuary and through outreach and animal rescue programs all across the country.
The Wild Animal Sanctuary (TWAS) is a 720-acre facility located outside of Keenesburg, Colorado (30 miles northeast of Denver). This rural, rolling grasslands shelters more than 450 large carnivores, and is the largest and oldest sanctuary of its kind in the world.
TWAS has responded to more than 1,000 requests from private citizens and government agencies to rescue animals from across the United States and other countries. Their resident animals were abandoned, abused, kept illegally or were victims of other terrible situations. Most were the pets of private citizens, but were confiscated by law enforcement officials for being in illegal or abusive situations. Others were surplus animals from zoos and other wildlife facilities, where they faced euthanasia due to over-breeding, overcrowding or closure due to inadequate finances.
Residents include tigers, African lions, black bears, grizzly bears, mountain lions, leopards, wolves, servals, bobcats, foxes, lynx, coyote, coati mundi, raccoon, porcupine, ostrich, emu, camels, alpacas, horses and rescued dogs and cats.
How Can You Help Your Local Shelters?
If you want to do more than just donate money, check this article out from PetFinder called “Seven Surprising Ways to Donate to Your Local Shelter.” And if you have a favorite charity you’d like to share with us – or other ways to help animals – please leave your suggestions below.