National Animal Shelter and Rescue Appreciation Week

National Animal Shelter and Rescue Appreciation Week

Although we believe we should be celebrating animal shelters all year round and doing our bit to support them, this week is an important week as they are nationally celebrated. Our post is going to discuss what they are, why we need them and how we can give more to help them!

What do rescue shelters do?

Rescue shelters are a lifeline for animals across the UK. From the smallest trapped mouse, to the larger farm animals that have lost their way, we need rescue shelters as much as the animals do. They provide shelter to animals that don’t have homes or shelter for those who’s homes don’t meet the standards that they deserve to be kept in. Paid staff and volunteers for the estimated 2,000 shelters work around the clock to ensure that animals in their protection are given everything they need whilst making sure that laws for animals elsewhere are abided by.

Check out this post on Animal Welfare Needs to find out more about what care animals are entitled to!

Why do we need rescue shelters?

Unfortunately, not all humans are as kind to animals as we would like. Although we can’t comprehend the reasoning for neglecting an animal, it does happen. Animal shelters provide animals with a safe place to often be nurtured back to health, be supported with getting over their trauma and find safe, forever homes. Without animal shelters, the amount of stray animals on the street would dramatically escalate, animal neglect wouldn’t be prosecutable and animal’s suffering would increase.

Animal shelters are non-profit organisations but also are working to continually educate the public on animal welfare. Whether this be from activities with children or explaining the importance of neutering our pets, they help to improve our knowledge for the wellbeing of our animals.

What effect did COVID-19 have on rescue shelters?

‘Though shelters are generally staffed and funded by municipalities and rescues are primarily funded by donations and staffed by volunteers, both struggle to provide the resources needed to save the lives of animals and help them find forever homes, especially now that the coronavirus has kept people at home.’

(RD, 2020)

Lockdown has had an effect on everyone. With restrictions in place, shelter employees were still allowed to care for animals at their place of work, but staff were limited. With more people at home, adoption and foster rates spiked as people brought pets into their homes for companionship with more time to spend looking after them. However, when restrictions were eased and people went back to work many of the animals were returned.

Shelters have relied on donations for the upkeep of animals and resources have been limited due to the pandemic. Check out this post - Why Isn’t £63 Million Being Donated To Shelters Every Year? - to find out how more donations could reach shelters.

We’ll continue to do our best in getting more reliable and consistent donations to shelters across the UK. The people who run these shelters deserve appreciation everyday!