Help animals for under $10.00

What you can do to help shelter cats on an extremely tight budget. Last week I told you about my favorite humane places to shop online and I told you about animal rescue organizations where you make tax deductible donations, but these are some ideas of what you can do to offer immediate help but doesn't cost a lot of money.

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A friend of mine, Leslie who is Mattie's human told me that she visits a dollar store every month and stocks up on toys, bowls, collars and any other pet supplies they have. Usually, it only costs about $10.00 - $15.00 to get several items that any shelter cat or dog needs. Then she donates them all to her local shelter, People for Pets a no kill organization that cares for all animals that people can't care for until the animals are once again adopted.

On a tight budget, a dollar store is your best bet, you can get all sorts of wonderful things that a shelter needs without spending a lot of money. Most shelters have a list of things they need that you can buy from a dollar store, or from a discount grocery store. Most shelters have a wish list like this one. You can see from the items on this list that almost anything you buy will be appreciated. Shelters need the following items, so pick up what you can and take it over to your local shelter, the humans will be very grateful and the animals will experience less stress and be more content:

Toys for cats and dogs

Carriers, crates, kennels, dog houses

Scoopable and non scoopable Kitty Litter

Pooper Scoopers

Disposable rubber gloves

Food and water dishes (preferable stainless steel because they are easier to disinfect than the plastic ones)

Leashes and collars

Bleach, pet safe cleaning supplies

laundry detergent

dish soap

anti-bacterial hand soap

garbage bags

paper towels

toilet paper

newspapers

zip top storage bags

plastic storage containers

stamps and envelops

copier paper, file folders

blankets and comforters (clean of course)

Cat and dog beds

Bath towels, hand towels, wash cloths

Mops, brooms, hand brush and dust pans

plastic grocery bags

rain ponchos

heating pads

animal nursing bottles

grooming tools

dog and cat shampoo

kitten milk replacement formula

scratching posts

and even furniture and appliances (but check with the shelter before you bring them an item they may not need)

Canned cat and dog food dog biscuits and kitty treats

Most shelters are run by volunteers. Everything from adoptions, to paper work to veterinary skills are all volunteered. Usually monetary donations go toward paying the rent, heating and cooling, phones, and other overhead expenses. Remember that $10.00 can go a long way at the dollar store but in these tough economic times, if 10.00 - 15.00 is too much for your budget right now, consider spending some time at your local shelter. Everyone has a skill they can use in a shelter like:

building maintenance

lawn or yard maintenance

loving cuddles to needy animals

Typing, letter writing, reception

Computer maintenance

Sweeping, cleaning

grooming, nail clipping, bathing

dog walking, cat toy wiggling

Website building

Professional legal skills

Accountant skills

Organize a fundraiser

You don't need to donate huge sums of money or hours and hours of time to make a huge difference in the lives of the unfortunate cats and dogs of the world who just haven't found a loving home yet. All it takes is a little planning. Decide how much time or money you can afford, find your nearest dollar store and then drop off everything or head on over to the animal shelter. Any contribution is welcomed, especially now that the weather is getting colder and more animals are needing to find shelter.

If you are not sure where the nearest shelter is, visit the ASPCA Find a Shelter Page and enter in your state/province/territory or simply enter your city or county along with the words "humane society" or "animal shelter" in a search engine and a list of shelters will come up for you. If you have any other ideas for low cost ways to help animals, please comment below.

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