There are several ways to assist with this important cause. By doing one or more of the following things, you can help give a deserving pet a loving home (or make their wait in the shelter a more pleasant one).

1. Sponsor an Ad
Many local newspapers provide space for ads to aid the adoption process. Pictures of cute cats and dogs are pictured together with the animal’s name and a brief synopsis of temperament. If your local shelter works with the newspaper in this manner, consider providing the funds for one or more of these ads. The cost is relatively inexpensive, and they do work to match pets to the right owner.

2. Collect Free Food Samples
Free samples of cat and dog food remain easy to obtain, both from local vendors and over the Internet. All you need to do is be on the lookout for these offers. For example, Rachael Ray now has free samples of  dog food on her Nutrish website. Other offers are easy to find just by searching the terms, “free cat and/or dog food.” This would be a great project for a youth group or senior center to tackle. Once you, or your group, have accumulated a box full of samples, drop them off at the local shelter or rescue.

3. Actively Seek Pet Adopters
Can’t take another pet yourself? Maybe you have a friend or two who have been thinking about getting a purebred dog or cat. Why not steer them to the local shelter? The Humane Society claims that “25 percent of pets in shelters are purebreds.” You not only will save your friend lots of money by letting him or her know that the dog or cat they have been wanting can be found at the shelter, you will be saving an animal’s life.

4. Support Fundraising Events
Many shelters and adoption groups host fundraising events. Make a point to support these events. One unique fundraiser held in Fayetteville in 2011 was the PAWcasso event, where cats “painted pictures” with their paws! The pictures were then sold as a way to raise money for the shelter. (I can imagine one of those masterpieces hanging on my wall). Other shelters raise money by hosting 5K’s or even dances. You can have fun while helping out.

5. Donate Old Linens
Shelters are always in need of blankets and towels, especially during the cold winter months. Don’t throw away your faded linens, give them to the local shelter to make a cat or dog more comfortable.

She stated she has three cats, as she had just rescued another one from her friend’s house. She proceeded to explain how the kitten had shown up on her friend’s porch one cold morning, tired and hungry, in search of a home.

This story reminded me of my own cat rescues, including Muffy and Joe. My mom and I rescued Muffy from the lobby of a credit union where we both worked at the time, and Joe showed up on the door step of a local farmer, who was a friend of a friend.

By now you must be seeing the pattern? Cats are not dumb. I believe if they are in need, they will search out people in hopes of finding shelter, food, and love. Sometimes they are lucky, such as in the cases I described above, and they find a human who is a cat lover. Unfortunately, I am sure they find other humans who are not so kind.

Here’s another interesting example of a cat asking for help. Several years ago, I met an intelligent feral male. As if on a mission, he used to peek into the windows of my friend’s living room, and you could see he was meowing frantically. A gorgeous feline, his coat was jet black and sleek, yet his paws were white, just like he had on tube socks. Over the course of a few days, another cat, grey and fluffy, began to hang around Socks, not looking into the windows, but standing back a bit. Socks continued meowing for days, so my friend set a trap to find out what was going on with this pair. Unfortunately, he only managed to capture the fluffy one.

Renamed “Mama Cats,” the female proved to be pregnant, and in desperate need of vet care. Sadly, Socks ended up being hit and killed by a car about a week later, but Mama Cats – rescued from the wild – gave birth to seven healthy kittens. She now lives with a single lady – in a home fit for a queen. And the woman who rescued her found loving homes for all the kittens.

That is how my cat, Bear, came into my life. He was one of Socks and Mama Cat’s kittens, and I have been privileged to have known him his entire life – from hours after birth, until now…six years later. I have never had a black cat before, or one that meows quite so much!

That’s the great thing about cats…you never know when a new one might come knocking at your door – literally!

“Open the hood,” the friend said. My student did, and there, nestled in a crevice in the engine sat a tiny kitten. It meowed mightily, yet seemed unharmed. They two women deduced that the kitten had traveled the four miles with my friend, and that it must have been drawn to the warmth of the engine.

The kitten’s location serves as a reminder to all cat lovers that during the colder months, these heat-loving animals will search out areas of warmth. Sadly, not all cats that find these warm cubbies in cars fare so well. Moving engine parts kill many, and some even drop from the vehicle at stop lights, only to become separated from their owners. In some cases, they can be crushed by oncoming traffic before the owner even realizes what has happened.

To avoid having your cat hitch a ride with you, make sure to keep your garage off limits during colder months. If you must park on the street, you could honk your horn before moving the vehicle. If you leave too early in the morning to be able to do that, banging on the hood to scare any would-be hitch hikers away will work as well.

You may be wondering what happened to the precious kitten my student rescued. After asking a few of her friends to adopt the cat, and about a dozen other phone calls, my student finally found it a temporary home with a woman who specializes in pet adoptions. This lucky little ball of fur will be checked out by a vet and fixed when it is old enough – then he (or she) will be given to a loving family.

As you can see from this story, pet rescues can happen at almost any time and in any place. You may remember from one of my previous posts that I rescued my cat, Muffy, from the lobby of a local credit union. She had somehow wandered into the building, hungry and alone, and my mother and I could not resist her charms, especially her expressive green eyes and luscious fur.

Pet rescues have become more difficult though, since our local animal shelter has no more room for additional cats or dogs. Because of this, we need to work extra hard to find homes for stray animals.

Of course I praised my student for taking the time to take care of this helpless animal. I felt overjoyed when she replied, “That’s what animal lovers do!”

Sam was a dog in limbo.  His owner had lost her job, and she had moved into an apartment that did not allow dogs.  I, on the other hand, have a fairly large piece of property, and I wanted a small dog for myself and for my children.  It seemed like an easy match, and I felt happy to give Sam a try.

What his owner and I did not understand, however, was that Sam had formed such an attachment to his previous family that he seemed determined not to fit in with a new “pack.”  I can honestly say that Sam seemed depressed to be living with me instead of with those he loved.

We tried everything to make Sam feel at home.  We took him for walks, tried to play with him, gave him special treats, but his heart was not in it.  One afternoon, about a half mile from home, Sam decided he had had enough of me and this adoption process.  He proceeded to lie down – in the middle of the road – and he would not move.  He became like a statue, one seemingly determined to give up on his new situation. His big brown eyes pleaded with me, as if to say, “Enough…take me home!”  I had no choice; I had to pick Sam up and carry him back to the house.

I know I’m a softie.  I understand that given time, maybe Sam would have come around, but in all honesty, I have never seen an animal act so sad.  I have owned several dogs, been friends with many others, and what I saw in this dog was a yearning for what he had left behind.  He truly acted heartbroken.

Needless to say, I called the owner, and she came to pick him up.  The reunion I witnessed that day would bring a tear to any pet lover’s eye; Sam literally jumped for joy to see his first owner and her young son. And before they left, Sam came over to me and gave me a nuzzle good-bye!  His actions said, “No hard feelings…”

I am glad to report that Sam ended up being able to stay with his beloved family.  The owner moved to a place that allowed dogs, and he is still living with them today.

Lesson learned?  Not all pet adoptions work.  Even though you may think a rescue or adoption is “a match made in heaven,” there may be some reason why the animal does not bond with your family.  If this happens, don’t beat yourself up.  In my case, it was Sam’s fierce love for his first family that stopped the adoption.  What a wonderful dog, huh?

While attending college, I found Zena at a rescue agency, and I decided to take her home. She was tiny, yet the woman at the shelter told me Zena was almost a year old. She had been abused, and she was frightened of all humans. In fact, no one wanted to adopt this standoff-ish cat…one that shrunk from any sort of physical contact.

I fell in love with Zena’s expressive eyes immediately. Although she wouldn’t come near me, I could see that she was interested in the world around her. After I brought her home, she didn’t venture out from her crate during the day, yet I could hear her rummaging in her bowl and in the cat litter box during the night.

After a week, I knew I had to do something to win her over. I decided to lie perfectly motionless on the floor near her crate. After what seemed like hours, she ventured out to smell me, and she finally curled up beside me. I resisted the urge to pet her, letting her lead our introduction instead. It worked, because from then on, Zena trusted me with all her heart.

For three years, Zena was my constant companion. She slept on my pillow at night, she followed me as I cleaned my apartment, and she even waited outside the shower for me to finish. One of her favorite things to do was ride across my shoulder. She loved to be cradled in this fashion, and she would lick my face in approval, while stretching her front legs down my back.

Zena never grew much bigger…she always looked like an 8 or 9 month old kitten. Her eyes and ears seemed too big for her body, and she didn’t have the strength a cat should have. She wouldn’t warm up to anyone else either. Whenever I had company, no amount of coaxing could get her to make an appearance. Even her favorite treats couldn’t make her budge from her hiding place under the bed.

When I moved across country to attend graduate school, I made a choice to leave her with my parents while I settled in at my new place. In hind sight, this was a grave mistake. Poor Zena thought I had abandoned her…she became lethargic and wouldn’t eat. Needless to say, my parents brought her to me right away.

I loved Zena so much, and I am sad that she only lived another couple of years because of being so frail. She truly was my best friend, and even though I only had her a short time, I will always cherish her memory as one of my favorite pet rescues.

Good beginner lizard:

• Leopard Geckos.  These pets are fun and easy to take care of.  For starters, they are docile and take handling well.  Mine was so docile, he could sit next to me on the couch and stay perfectly calm.  They are smallish (6 inches long, approx.) and colorful.  They have bands of yellow on their backs.  They can survive on a diet of only crickets and water.  They are easy to keep in groups.

Good beginner snake:

• I don’t know too much about snakes, but to the best of my knowledge, ball pythons are excellent pets.  The two people I know who own them love them.  So, I will refer you to a about.com piece on them.  “A small constricting snake (adults reach 3-5 feet) that is usually quite docile and easy to care for. They do have a reputation for refusing to feed, so potential owners should be persistent in finding a healthy captive bred ball python (you may even want to ask for a feeding demonstration to ensure the snake will readily take killed mice). Ball Pythons can be expected to live a long life (20-30 years).”

Good beginner amphibian:

• White’s Tree Frog.  Now, before I get into this, let me explain that frogs are horrible pets for kids.  All frogs do are sit around and sleep.  They make great display pets, but you have minimal handling when you own a frog.  But if owning a frog is a must, then White’s Tree Frogs are good.  They can be handled occasionally, if they are fed well.  They eat primarily insects, but will eat just about anything.  They can live in tanks as small as 25 gallons and are arboreal.  The tank must be kept warm.

If you or someone you know is interested in having a reptile or amphibian pet, please regard this list.  It could make your pet keeping experience a happy and fruitful one.

Why? Because animal shelters and rescue groups are becoming increasingly creative about marketing dogs and cats for adoption. These groups strive to go to where potential pet owners congregate, including the market mentioned above. They are also going to malls and to a variety of businesses. You may remember that a few weeks ago, I wrote about a minor league baseball team in Ft. Myers, Florida that partnered with a local shelter to sponsor five dog adoption events this summer.

But do these events really work? Yes! Based on information from the ASPCA, these large scale adoption strategies really do place animals with loving owners. These events “… can match hundreds of animals with good homes in a few short (hours or) days.”

Some people are skeptical about getting a dog or cat in this manner; however, if you are searching for a new dog or cat, it is better to adopt from a shelter or rescue organization vs. buying from a pet store. The reason is simple; this action saves innocent lives. The Humane Society of the United States asserts that “between three and four million dogs and cats are euthanized each year in animal shelters in the United States. But if more families looking for a pet this year would adopt their new furry friend from a shelter, we could put an end to this tragedy.”

You see, when you adopt from a shelter or rescue group (either on-site or at one of these large scale adoption events), you put an end to the senseless killing of homeless pets across the country.

It is also interesting to note that you can usually find the breed you want at the shelter or at one of these promotions. For example, the dogs available at my local farmer’s market were Labs. The group that coordinated the event, the Labrador Education and Rescue Network or LEARN, specializes in Lab adoptions. As stated by the president of LEARN, many people don’t realize that they can get a purebred animal from a rescue operation. She also explains that the group finds loving and stable home for approximately 150 dogs per year, although there are many more dogs who need homes.

And the same holds true for cats. Many times you can adopt the cat of your dreams (maybe a Persian) at a shelter or special event, because cats are many times victims of divorce, loss of jobs, or even owner death. (Personally, I adopted a cat, because he was jet black, and black cats suffer from bad press. You know, the incorrect assertion that black cats bring bad luck?)

So, be on the lookout for a creative pet adoption event near you. You just might find a perfect pet for you and your family.

It’s true that cats are not part of the natural ecosystem, that they may want to hunt even if they’re fed, and that they prey on native species of birds and small animals.

I asked Cindy Hewitt, who has worked to TNR over 7,000 cats, how she would answer critics. To begin with, she agrees that “Humans created the issue of free-roaming cat populations, and we should humanely resolve it.”

She points out that, as I’ve written before, the greatest threat to these wild animals is us humans, through “destruction of habitat, use of pesticides that
negatively affect  reproduction, window strikes and telecommunications towers”. I’d also add cars and, in some places, wind generators. And we can’t even claim to be just following our instincts.

Cats are not free from the threat of predators themselves — coyotes, for example, and even free-roaming dogs. In Florida, where Cindy is based, alligators and large snakes are also a danger. Any large carnivore can be.

It’s also true that feeding feral cats won’t completely stop them from hunting, but Cindy says, “A managed colony of sterilized cats  will have less impact on wildlife than an unmanaged colony, which is the  frequent result of efforts to oppose TNR.”

Managing a colony includes controlled feeding — giving food only to sterilized colony members, only at certain times of day, to avoid attracting new members or other animals.

Cindy has seen feral colonies stabilize and decline when TNR was introduced. The most dramatic changes occur in groups with large numbers of adoptable members (usually kittens). For example, one colony went from having 60 members to just eight — after 25 kittens were removed to homes. However, she says, even without removing any cats for adoption, a colony will decline gradually if it’s carefully managed.

TNR’s not perfect, but it’s an effort by humans to take responsibility for problems our species has created.

“They may be small, but these little guys are BIG on personality. Do you have what it takes to be a hamster pet parent?” ASPCA

I love animals – all animals. I guess that’s why when my son came home from a friend’s house a few years ago with 12 hamsters, I didn’t march him right back out the door.

His plan seemed ingenious. Sell baby hamsters to the local pet shop for $7.00 per hamster. And this was after receiving two cages, food, toys, bedding, and various other supplies – FOR FREE –from his best friend. All went well for a few weeks. We looked after the baby hamsters, made sure they had plenty to eat, kept their cages squeaky clean…all while readying them for sale. That first visit to the pet store made my son beam with joy; he sold 5 hamsters that day. $35.00 to an 8th grader is a lot of money!

Seven hamsters remained. All we had to do – wait for them to reproduce. Then, as you probably can imagine, hamster mania began to set in. First, we learned that hamsters will actually eat each other! What a shock to count six when there were seven the night before.

The next tragedies involved my two cats. We had secured the hamster cages against feline attack, or so we thought. One morning, we found both cages had been tipped over, and the little fuzz balls were on the loose. Thank goodness we found all six – the first time. Despite making the cages as safe as possible, the cats upset them again, and the six were back on the lam. (Joe and Bear had no interest in eating them; they just wanted to play). I’m sad to report, only five survived that jail break.

The next problem involved a faulty water bottle. It had previously worked fine, but one afternoon it broke and flooded the cage – now the poor things shivered with wetness. They dried out nicely, but over the next few days, and a couple of water bottles later, the unwanted showers never seemed to end.

At this point I knew the failure of the business loomed on the horizon. Although I meant well, raising hamsters to sell involves much more than I ever imagined. I finally understood why my son’s friend’s parents gave away all the hamsters and their belongings! They must have been victims of hamster mania as well.

What could I do? I cleaned the cages one more time, and I sent the five survivors packing…hopefully to greener and safer pastures! Never again will I jeopardize the life of any mammal, not matter how small; it’s just too heartbreaking.

If you are considering becoming the proud owner of a hamster, check out this ASPCA link. It tells about all aspects of hamster care, from cost to housing to diet. I sure wish I had known about this resource before I agreed to assist my son with his money making venture.

Don’t misunderstand me, as I think show dogs and cats are wonderful, and I did enjoy learning about my friend’s Egyptian Mau cats – their spotted coats were simply amazing – yet I always root for the “underdog.” You know, the scruffy cat or dog that just needs a loving owner and a place to call home.

I witnessed my first pet rescue at the age of nine. One summer afternoon, my brother came running inside to tell my parents about a tiny puppy stuck in our neighbor’s duck pen. The ducks had chased the poor little guy to the point of exhaustion, and they had even chewed off his tail. What an uproar!

As you can imagine, we ended up with a new dog, Barney. He was tiny, a mix between a dachshund and a beagle, and he was mostly black, with a few white patches. Since the ducks had battered him before the rescue, we had to nurse him back to health. After what seemed like forever, Barney pulled out of his funk and began recovering.

Barney was full of surprises. After his first visit to the vet, we learned he was a she! So, Barney became Barnie Sue. She turned out to be the best dog anyone could hope for – she never ran away, she barked just enough to protect, but never enough to annoy, and she proved a loyal companion for nearly 13 years.

Another favorite rescue happened on a hot summer afternoon, years after Barnie Sue entered the picture. I was working at a local credit union with my mother. We had just returned from lunch when someone remarked that a kitten was stuck between the two entrance doors of the building. Being cat lovers, we both ran to the foyer. There we found the kitten, puffed up like an old, gray dust mop, with pleading green eyes. You guessed it – Barnie had a new playmate – Muffy.

Barnie Sue cherished Muffy, and Muffy, in turn, learned to love Barnie as her mother. They spent their days together, playing, greeting company, and napping. And when Barnie died a few years later, Muffy changed. She was still loving, yet she sometimes looked at me with the same pleading eyes as when I had found her.

I do know that not every rescue works out, but when they do, the results can be magical. Two of my favorite rescues, Barnie Sue and Muffy, were a match made in Heaven. Nothing against my friend, but instead of using “paper” to find my pets, I’ll stick to chance!