If You Don’t Have Pets, Suggest Hanging Out With Animals Instead.
Maybe you live in a house where pets are outlawed, maybe you have an allergic partner; this does not mean that cats and dogs cannot be a part of your daily life. Volunteering at an animal shelter is the perfect way to help those who are hungry.
Redditor u / mollyleejames happily announced on r / LifeProTips that many shelters are looking for volunteers to help socialize cats and dogs and keep them busy and loved:
A visit to a humane society and pet kittens is FREE – it can help those who cannot have pets and / or chronically lonely people.
I do this a lot! All I do is go in and ask the administrator if I can go inside and pet the kittens. They always say yes!
I usually sit in a cat room for an hour playing, petting, interacting and connecting with them. Kittens love it because they need attention, and I love it because I can tell how much they love it.
For me, going there makes me happy for the rest of the day!
Sometimes you can see how they are also chosen for adoption, which always warms my heart. (:
The ability to simply walk and pet the animals must be confirmed at your local shelter – on the one hand, hours can change and there are likely times when the presence of extra people in the waiting areas is distracting. The Humane Society has many more official volunteer jobs that can be searched by region.
Most cities also have many small shelters that need this kind of support; for example, BARC Shelter in Brooklyn often seeks volunteers to walk the dogs in their little “adopt me” vests. Check with local organizations that probably need more help. Spending time with pets makes them the best candidates for adoption, and it will help fill the void you have as a pet-free pet lover. Just be careful, I can’t get through the whole day if I don’t bring home a new cat.