Change a Pet’s Life Day is dedicated to bringing awareness to stray pets everywhere and encouraging people to try and make the animals’ lives better. It’s held on January 24th every year. While you have missed it for this year, the holiday returns next year, so mark your calendar.
Change a Pet’s Life Day is a chance for all of us to give one or more of the millions of pets in the local rescue shelters a loving home. Though this is something you can do every day of the year, January 24th is the day to put the word out there, and hope that other pet owners will follow suit.
If you’ve never heard of Change a Pet’s Life Day, we’ll tell you more about it below and give you a few ways to make a difference.
What Is National Change a Pet’s Life Day?
It was in 1896 that a group of women called the Women’s Society for the Prevention of the Cruelty of Animals decided to take a stand and established the very first horse refuge in Pennsylvania. Later, they extended it to include any canine that was lost, abandoned, or in need of a home. That is where Change a Pet’s Life Day was born, and it’s a holiday that is observed by animal lovers everywhere to this day.
How Can You Help to Change a Pet’s Life?
You might be wondering how to celebrate Change a Pet’s Life Day, and we’ll discuss a few ways to help the stray animals below.
1. Foster or Adopt a Pet
The best way to help a pet is to give one a forever home. Adopting a dog or cat from a shelter will change an animal’s life in a major way. However, even if you’re unable to adopt a pet at the moment, you could try fostering one until the rescue shelter can find them a forever home.
Not only will you be providing food, shelter, and love, but you’ll be helping the shelter as well, as it frees up space for other animals to come. Some shelters even offer discounts to adopt on Change a Pet’s Life Day, so make sure to check into it if you can.
Many shelters will let you sponsor a cat or dog if you can’t take them home or foster them. You’ll be covering the adoption fee so that the animal can easily find a forever home. You might even get emails and pictures to let you know how the pet you decided to sponsor is doing and how they’re getting along with their new family.
3. Become a Volunteer
Rescue shelters always need volunteers to walk the animals and give them love and attention while they are waiting to be chosen to go to a forever home. Becoming a volunteer can make a big difference in the lives of shelter animals. Some rescue centers and shelters also use volunteers for administrative duties.
4. Make a Donation
If you can’t do any of the above, and even if you can, rescue centers are always looking for donations. You can donate and be sure that your money will go towards food, medical care, and housing for the poor pets that haven’t found a family to love them. You can also use the donation as a write-off on your taxes at the end of the year.
5. Spread the Word
With the invention of social media, it’s easier than ever to spread the word about pets that need to be adopted. You can easily promote Change a Pet’s Life Day on your Facebook page, Twitter, and Instagram profiles, to name a few. Try sharing some pictures of an animal you adopted to encourage your followers to head to the shelter to find a new companion.
6. Raise Awareness
It’s also a good idea to raise awareness for the local rescue shelters that are hosting events on Change a Pet’s Life Day. Tell your friends, family, co-workers, and anyone else you might know. Who knows, maybe you’ll be the one to prompt someone to go out and give a pet a forever home.
7. Spend the Day With Your Pet
If you adopt a pet of your own on Change a Pet’s Life Day or already have one, you can spend the day showing how much you care about them. You can play games, provide special treats, or relax on the couch with them and watch animal videos.
Final Thoughts
National Change a Pet’s Life Day is held on January 24, so make sure to mark your calendar so you can participate. If you can’t give a pet a forever home, there are still many ways you can help. You can foster a pet, donate, volunteer at your rescue shelter, or raise awareness on social media. No matter which of these you choose to do, you’ll be making it easier for a pet in a shelter to find their forever home.
Featured Image Credit: Rami, Happonen, Shutterstock