The San Diego Humane Society joined other animal welfare organizations across the nation in a campaign highlighting the impact people can have on homeless animals in their community.
The Share the Care Campaign illustrates the critical role the community plays in creating positive outcomes for homeless animals. Opportunities like adopting, fostering, volunteering, donating, or even sharing adoptable animals on social media can help give animals a second chance.
“We rely on our community to partner with us all year and that’s especially true right now,” said San Diego Humane Society President and CEO Dr. Gary Weitzman. “Small actions make a big impact, and everyone can do something to make a difference for animals in need.”
The campaign comes as animal shelters and rescues across the nation are seeing more animals enter than leave. According to the SDHS, It’s a drastically different situation than in 2020, when shelters and rescues saw the overwhelming demand for adoptable pets.
“Without significant and immediate support from the public, data analysis of the past few years predicts adoptions will continue to decrease,” said Stephanie Filer, executive director for Shelter Animals Count.
For the past 18 months, the number of pets leaving shelters has steadily dropped, bringing shelters to or near full capacity. At San Diego Humane Society, there are currently 1,669 animals in care, with 576 of them available for adoption, ready for new homes.
There are many ways the community can help homeless pets like Dana by participating in the Share the Care campaign:
• Adopting a pet is the most immediate way to help. See available pets at sdhumane. org/adopt<http://www.sdhumane.org/adopt>.
• Fostering, which means volunteers temporarily care for animals in their own homes, increases a shelter’s capacity to house more animals. It also gives animals a break from the shelter. Sign up at sdhumane.org/foster<http://www.sdhumane.org/foster>.
• Promoting adoptable animals through social media spreads the word.
• Volunteering and donating to support the lifesaving work of shelters. Visit sdhumane.org<http://www.sdhumane.org/> to learn more.
• Preventing pets from entering shelters in the first place, through reuniting lost pets with their owners and rehoming pets directly into new families. Learn more at sdhumane.org/found.<https://www.sdhumane.org/services/lost-and-found/>
For more information on specific actions, you can take to help save animals’ lives and to pledge your support, visit joinsharethecare.org<http://www.joinsharethecare.org/>.
