5 Ways Humane Societies Help Animals

We all know what humane societies do – they’re a place where you can adopt a pet, right? If you’ve ever visited a shelter or rescue, you might have seen part of what people do for the animals there. Beyond what you might have noticed on your visit, though, there’s more work going on behind the scenes. Because we love animals and care about the work that animal welfare organizations do, we are sharing five ways that humane societies help animals.

1. Humane Societies Provide for Animals’ Physical Needs

The most obvious way that animal welfare organizations help animals is providing for their physical needs. Animals without a home will get shelter, food, and vet care. This might seem basic, but this is huge! Once an animal is taken in, they may get a bath, a health checkup, and vaccines. They get a safe place to live. This helps animals feel secure.

2. Humane Societies Help Animals Get Homes

Once an animal’s physical needs are taken care of, shelters help animals find homes. Many animal rescues get to know an animal’s personality and are able to pair them with the right kind of home. For example, some animals need to be the only animal in a home. Some require a home where the animal can get a lot of exercise. A good shelter will tell adoptive homes what the animal’s needs are. It may also ensure that adoptive homes will be caring and safe for the animal.

3. Humane Societies Protect Communities from the Dangers of Stray Animals

Besides helping animals, humane societies also benefit their surrounding areas. Animal shelters get homeless animals off the streets so they aren’t wandering around, potentially creating traffic hazards or harassing pets and people simply because they’re hungry and looking for food.

4. Humane Societies Educate Communities About Animal Welfare

Shelters also help communities by advocating for animals. They educate people about animal care, and they lead by being a voice for animals. For example, most humane societies stress the importance of spaying, neutering, and vaccinating animals to benefit the whole population. Sometimes they also warn pet owners about local threats like poisonous invasive species or plants in the area that could harm animals.

5. Humane Societies Help Keep the Animal Population in Check

Not only do humane societies just tell people to spay and neuter pets, but they also perform these services. Shelters know firsthand how pet overpopulation is a serious issue – there just aren’t enough homes for all the animals, which leads to animal suffering. Also, many shelters offer a spay/neuter procedure at a lower cost than veterinary clinics or animal hospitals. The reduced price makes it more likely that pet owners will do the procedure.

The work that humane societies do truly helps everyone – animals and people alike. If you love animals and appreciate what animal welfare organizations do, please consider donating to one in our directory here.