Last week, we discussed how difficult things are for animal rescues and shelters these days. Today, we want to focus on four easy ways to support animal rescues through donations. We hope this blog post will inspire you to set aside a bit of time or money to help local and national animal advocacy organizations thrive.
1) Attend Animal Rescue Fundraisers & Events
Many of our friends and followers are enthusiastic participants in fundraisers and events that collect funds and donate proceeds to animal welfare organizations. Whether the funds help homeless animals or support retired military working dogs, fundraisers are a fun way to support a good cause. They are also a great opportunity for pet lovers to see old friends and make new ones!
Follow your favorite animal welfare organizations on social media so you don't miss any of their fundraising efforts. And, visit their website to sign up for their newsletter and announcements.
2) Make a Single Monetary Donation to Animal Rescue
Whether you got an epic bonus check or received more from your tax refund than expected, consider making a single monetary donation to an animal rescue organization. We recognize that most families these days don't have tons of extra cash lying around but, instead of blowing that bonus on an item you'll only use for a short period, share it with a shelter or rescue and write it off on your tax return.
Donation Tip: Speak to your CPA about what donations can be written off and what you need to meet IRS and state requirements.
3) Make an Item Donation to Animal Rescue
Some pet lovers feel weary of donating money to shelters and rescue organizations because they don't trust that the money is being used to directly benefit the animals. If you share this fear, consider finding a rescue or shelter that has an online wish list on Amazon or other online retailers where you can make a purchase that will be sent directly to them for use with their animals.
Further, many animal rescues and shelters are in need of litter boxes, bowls, collars, flea and tick treatments, etc. If you have some of these items at home and would like to donate them, call your favorite rescue to verify if they will take second-hand donations. If they don't, they likely know of a smaller organization that may take such item donations.
Donation Tip: Ask the organization for a receipt of donated items. Their estimated value may be tax deductible.
4) Sign up for Automatic Monthly Donations
Realistically speaking, most of us do not have the capacity to take on additional pets, as much as we might like to.
For many, the inability to adopt additional pets may not be financial. Many families cannot welcome additional pets due to the health and behavior of existing pets, time constraints and commitments, gruesome work schedules and commutes, kids, aging parents, etc.
If you'd like to adopt a pet but cannot make the time or offer your home to them right now, consider sponsoring an organization with an automatic monthly donation. The pets and organization will benefit from your generosity and you won't have to add yet another task or two to your to-do list.
Many organizations have sponsorship opportunities that do all the work for you. You just sign up and your desired amount will be debited from your bank account or credit card until you decide to stop.
Donation Tip: These smaller auto-debited donations are more manageable, require minimal effort, and are usually tax-deductible. Always talk to your CPA.
Supporting Animal Welfare in Yorktown
At Hearts at Home Pet Sitting, we try to donate to local shelters and rescues whenever possible. We also work tirelessly to support our rescue and shelter partners through volunteerism, event participation, and education.
Any time we participate in an event like the upcoming 4Paws Animal Rescue Pints and Paws 5K Run/Walk and 1 Mile Walk with Pup Strut, we do so as sponsors so that our monetary donation can be used to promote the event and, hopefully, yield even higher results. We also make monetary donations to organizations like Peninsula Regional Animal Shelter when possible. Our goal is to make our contributions more regular as we grow.
To learn more about our in-home dog walking, pet sitting, and home care services, submit a new client questionnaire here. For more information, visit our website or contact us by email at Hello@HeartsAtHomePetSitting.com or by phone at 757-745-9868.
Our service areas include Yorktown, Poquoson, Newport News, and Hampton, Virginia.
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