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Step Three: Which Animal or Animals?
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Our Six Point Plan:
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Animals and charities have two things in common.
Animals come in all shapes, sizes and textures. There are those with fins, fur or feathers; wings and/or legs; the ones that come out in the day and those who are nocturnal in nature.
There are those that make you go 'aaahhh' and some which make you go 'ugh'; some make you want to turn and run, while others make you stop and gaze at them in fascinated awe. |
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Make a choice to start helping one animal or charity.
Don't waste time feeling guilty about the rest who you know need help.
You help different causes at various times throughout the year and during your life. |
Charities likewise range come in all shapes and sizes. There are the big and famous, such as the RSPCA in England or the ASPCA in the USA. There are also a large number of small sanctuaries and set-ups which have been started by people who wanted to make a difference.
Many of the smaller rescue centres or sanctuaries may not be registered as charities at all. A major reason for this is that registering as a charity involves cost in time and money and on-going administration, which the people running them would rather give directly to the animals.
Charities and animals all need your help. |
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Be realistic. Make your volunteering manageable.
It's virtually impossible for us to do something for every animal and every charity - apart from signing up to the all-important worldwide campaign, Animals Matter.
So you need to make some decisions about who and what to support.
You don't have to stick to one animal or charity.
You could, for example, help out at a local rescue centre every other Sunday morning, while also getting busy on your pc after work one night a month, signing petitions, doing two hours selling flags for an international conservation trust for an endangered animal on a Saturday morning in May, and attend a fund-raising event for a dog's rescue shelter one evening in November. So you see how you can spread out your activities throughout the year without biting into too much of your time.
The more in-depth your involvement is in one charity, the more likely you are to increasingly stick to it alone.
That's where helping animals can quickly take over your life, as your name gets known in your area or the field. You need to have boundaries which make you say "Stop! This is taking enough of my time and life. No more." And that's easier said than done when you get a call at two in the morning about a dog someone has found wandering aimlessly and without identification on a mountain road. Animals have never heard of 9 to 5. |
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You could help a charity which covers a range of animals, as opposed to just one sort.
Examples include a sanctuary which takes practically anything in from dogs and cats to sheep and goats, or an organisation which promotes responsible pet ownership. This means that you are more likely to benefit a range of animals, rather than a specific one. |
Don't forget the smaller charities.
Visit the Dog Rescue Pages, for example. It has a list of dog charities in the UK.
You may soon find yourself making a new wide range of friends, 4 paws and two legs!
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So get focused. What do you want to do exactly? For example:
- Do you want to help animals in your area (e.g. companion animals, wildlife such as rabbits, foxes and hedgehogs) and possibly farm animals? There's more likely to be hands-on stuff here.
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Do you want to help one particular animal, regardless of where the organisations supporting it are based?
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Do you want to help an animal charity which covers a broad range of species and has a particular aim, e.g. to help pet owners who are terminally ill with their pets or one which promotes and campaigns for animal welfare?
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Do you just want to get started and help an animal charity, regardless of where it is and what animal(s) it cares for?
- Do you want to do a combination of these?
- Do you want to set up something of your own, perhaps providing a solution for a problem pet owners or animals have?
- Or anything else?
If you fall into the first four categories, you'll need to hunt for a charity which suits your needs and meets your interests.
(Remember, charities would far rather that you take one small step
and be reliable
than not turn up or fulfil your promises.) |
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