All animals big and small can make the perfect companion to any family. Unfortunately, some furry friends don’t always get the opportunity to enjoy a “forever home” and face neglect or homelessness.
However, there are a variety of great animal rescues in the Northern CT area that work hard to protect and save the lives of animals in need.
The problem is these that these animal rescues can become overburdened with the arrival of new animals.
So, how can you help?
Donate
Because animal rescues are non-profit organizations, many rely on donations to run. Additionally, donations are often greatly needed after a natural disaster due to an increase of needy and displaced animals.
Items such as, blankets, bedding, food, toys, and urine pads are the most commonly needed pet supplies and can make all the difference to an animal in need.
Additionally, animal rescues often also have to foot the vet bills to save or help an animal in distress, leaving them in thousands of dollars of debt. Therefore, a monetary contribution can help alleviate the financial burden many rescues take on to save a pet’s life.
Of course, you should make sure to call ahead or visit their website to see what a rescue in particular needs, but regardless your contribution will go a long way in helping the staff and pets at animal rescues.
Volunteer
Volunteering will depend on the animal rescue and location, some rescues in Northern CT aren’t big and only have a small group of animals they tend to, while others have hundreds of people working on call. Regardless, volunteering your time can be helpful because most rescue operators work from sunup to sundown, feeding, cleaning, and sheltering neglected or sick pets.
Volunteers can ease the demands of caring for a multitude of animals in need. Additionally, can also help transition skittish or fearful animals into becoming more sociable.
If you would like to volunteer, just make sure to call or email the rescue ahead of time.
Adopt
The best thing you can do for your local animal rescues is to adopt a pet if you can. Many animals may wait months or even years before they find a loving home, and pets that are in their senior years are often passed over for younger, more active kittens and puppies. However, that doesn’t make a senior pet unadoptable. In fact, many rescues encourage senior adoptions by offering these adoptions at a reduced rate or free of charge.
Additionally, if you can handle and afford it, consider adopting a pet with special needs. It’s often harder for a family to take in an animal that may have physical or mental ailments, but again if you can handle the responsibility, you’ll gain a wonderful bond with these animals.
Spread the Word
Finally, whether you have a pet allergy, cannot care for an animal, or do not have the financial resources to help out, the next best thing you can do is to spread the word.
Again, because a lot of these rescues run off of volunteers and donations- they don’t always have the resources or time to actively or effectively spread the word online or in person. Therefore, it’s important to help get information out by:
1. Interacting with them on social media- many animal rescues cannot push out sponsored content, and some do not even have a website, however, if they have a Facebook or Twitter page the best thing you can do is to like, follow, and share their content. This way their message reaches your network and more eyes are seeing it.
2. Sharing their website or list of pets available for adoption- many smaller animal rescues use a website like PetFinder to host available pets for adoption in different areas.
3. Reminding friends and family to adopt over shopping for a pet- the best thing you can do, is to remind your friends and family to adopt a pet if they’re considering adding one into their home. Adoption gives a pet a second chance at life.
Some great animal rescues in the Northern CT area include:
- Sarah’s Second Chance Dog Rescue
- Our Companions Animal Rescue
- Kitty Angels of CT
- Pack Leaders Rescue of CT
- Second Chance Animal Services
- Paws for Life
- East Coast Canine Rescue
- Here Today Adopted Tomorrow
- Out To Pasture Farm & Rescue
- Tara Farm Rescue
- Foster Hill Farm
- Central New England Equine Rescue
If you want to make a difference in an animals life, start by supporting an animal rescue and the people that run them.
Are there any animal rescues in the Northern CT area that we forgot to include on this list? Share them in the comments below.
