It's National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week

Approximately 6.5 million pets go through animal shelters every year. Shelters are on the front lines saving millions of pets That’s why the first full week in November is designated as National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week.

How can you help? The best way is to adopt pets from a shelter. Senior dogs, or those over the age of six, are at the most risk of being overlooked and stay at shelters the longest.

Those who can’t make a full-time commitment should look into fostering. In this system, you take on an animal until the shelter can find it a new forever home. Shelters today are fostering animals to everyone who can help.

And don’t forget, you can always help by giving shelters cold, hard cash. Make sure you’re giving directly to your local shelters. Large groups like the Humane Society of the United States run slick ads that exploit people’s desire to help shelter pets, but in reality it only gives about 1% of its money to shelters.

This week, take time to give assistance to your local shelter. Everyone benefits from a robust, well run system of local shelters that cares for animals in need. Why wait?

Will Coggin,

Research Director,

Center for Consumer Freedom