If you are not ready to adopt, please consider fostering.  This will give you time to mingle with your potential forever friend and better yet, you may have help save a life.  A lot of shelters (depending on the locations, have a high turn around rate), are high kill shelters.  If the dog has done it's time and no potential adopters turns up, the shelter may elect to euthanize the dog to make room for the new comer. As a result, a perfectly fine dog will be "put down" just to make room.  Also, a good percentage of shelter dogs are seniors, and because of various reasons do not do well in a kennel situation.  They will "blossom" in a home situation and therefore become so much more adoptable.  Others would benefit from some obedience training, and some have special medical needs that are difficult to fulfill in a kennel environment.

Most of the time, the foster care program ( set up by individual rescues or shelters) will pay for all authorized expenses, including medical care.  All they ask is your love and commitment to a deserving dog. Please consider helping one of the fur balls. You can save a dog's life!!

Volunteers are always needed in animal shelters, local rescues, and animal hospitals.  Any amount of time would be helpful and very much appreciated.  You don't have to have time every day or every week, or have a consistent amount of time available- just any time you can spare… 

Things you can help with: 

- You can help on or off site.

- You can help at PetSmart, Petco, and fund raising events.

- You can help exercise the dogs by walking or playing with them.

- You can help transport animals to and from the vet, kennels…

- You can help clean cages and yards.

- You can help crochet, knit, sew blankets or towels

- You can just go and pet the dogs at the shelter and let them know that you care…

Most rescue groups and some shelters have guardian angels program.  Briefly, this is a program to collect donations to pay for or offset medical bills that can be beyond the financial capabilities of the shelter/rescue/ adopter.  Some pets were turned into or arrived at the shelter(s) with medical problems like: heart worm, hip dysplasia, pancreatic enzyme deficiency, megaesophagus, just to name a few.   

Usually, the guardian angel will receive a timely update about the dog they are sponsoring, in terms of it's health, progress, and if they have been adopted, and sometimes even an updated picture. Please check with your local shelters/ rescue groups and fill out an application form to become a guardian angel.

Although any amount is appreciated, below is a general guideline for your consideration:

• $5.00 will buy a toy or a bag of treats.

• $10.00 will pay for a rabies vaccination or 1 day's stay in the kennel.

• $20.00 will pay for a heartworm test or 2 days in the kennel.

• $50.00 will buy a 6-month supply of heartworm medication or 5 days in the kennel.

  (Some rescue groups have arrangements with local kennels that charge between $ 8-10 per day.)

These extra couple days in a kennel, while waiting for space in a foster home, or to be adopted, can literally make a life or death difference!!

Please consider helping the fur balls for they cannot help or speak for themselves.  We (their human friends) are their only advocates, please help!!

Please consider donating to the war-dogs fund for America's forgotten heroes, and/or support your local K-9 program.  Better yet, please consider donating towards buying a bullet proof and puncture resistant vest for one of the K-9 officers.  They are protecting us and our society- they deserve all the protection they can get…Please help.