National Change A Pet's Life Day

How you can make a difference!

January 24th is National Change A Pet’s Life Day! This started in 2009, as a way to support animal shelters and encourage potential pet parents to adopt a dog or cat in need. After 18 years, many shelters still use this date to raise awareness and get pets into loving homes. Whether you’re thinking about bringing a furry friend into your life, or are simply an animal lover at heart, there are many ways you can celebrate Change A Pet’s Life Day and make a real impact in your local community.

Volunteer

If you’re a pet owner, you know that taking care of just one or two pets can be a lot of work. Whether it’s going on walks, playing, cleaning, or just getting a snuggle in, your pet probably gets quite a lot of your attention! Dogs and cats at shelters need all the same care, and often there aren’t enough people to go around. Shelters rely on volunteers to keep things running smoothly and safely, as well as to give the animals some TLC! Check with your local animal shelters to see if they need volunteers to feed, clean, walk, or play with the animals who are waiting for their forever homes.

Donate

Animal shelters provide loads of pet-related services, often for free or at a reduced cost. This means they run primarily on donations to make up the gap and ensure they can keep providing those services to the community. For example, shelters provide veterinary check-ups, vaccinations, and spaying or neutering to all the animals under their care. In addition, animals that come to them sick or injured will receive medication, wound care, and surgeries to make sure they are healthy and happy before they are put up for adoption. Many animals relinquished to shelters come in pregnant, or with chronic illnesses that need special care. All of these services require hundreds of hours of work from highly qualified veterinarians. Cash donations help support the people dedicated to improving the lives of shelter animals. 

If you’re not able to make a donation of money, there are plenty of other things shelters need that you might have just lying around. Many shelters will accept unopened pet food, used hard plastic toys, carriers, or litter boxes, and old blankets or towels. Call your local shelter to check what donations they are currently accepting, as their needs are always changing.

Adopt

The biggest goal of National Change A Pet’s Life day is to encourage people to adopt a pet in need. Many shelters even host special events where you can meet some of the animals up for adoption, or they may offer reduced adoption fees. Several shelters in and around Chapel Hill and Durham are having special events on January 24th. 

Unleashed, the Dog & Cat Store is a local chain of pet supply shops that has partnered with animal shelters to host special adoption events in several locations

• The Valentine Photos Meet and Greet with Carolina Animal Network in Raleigh

• The Meet And Greet with Independent Animal Rescue in Durham

• The Dog Wash Fundraiser with NC State University’s VAW Global Veterinary Chapter in Raleigh 

Meow City, a cats-only boutique in Cary, is hosting a Special Adoption Event with Alley Cats And Angels

Orange County Animal Services in Chapel Hill has reduced adoption fees for both dogs and cats to only 50$, January 12th - 24th

Share

It may not be the right time for you to adopt a new pet – that’s a big commitment! But if you want an easy way to help out, find a shelter near you and give them a little boost on social media. Getting the word out about these events means even more chances for an animal in need to get the loving home it deserves.