by Laura Sullivanlyndall

Created on: July 28, 2009   Last Updated: August 11, 2009

In today's economical tough times, unemployment rates are soaring through the roof. With so many people finding themselves unemployed or having to take jobs in much lower pay scales, everyone is suffering. Folks are learning it is time to batten down the hatches and stop splurging. With these changes of budget cuts come cuts in financial help for animal shelters, which are becoming more over populated then ever, from abandoned pets of owners who can no longer afford them. The animal shelters are not only overpopulated but also underfunded, short of supplies, and understaffed.

Many people are miss lead to the belief that animal shelters only receive cats and dogs. However, animal shelter these days are not only over crowded with cats and dogs, but are also over whelmed with reptiles, rabbits, birds, goats, horses, and many other types of animals including exotic species. These additional species of animals are adding to the strain put on animal shelters. Now more volunteers are needed who specialize in caring for equine and exotic animals.

Animal shelters need more financial help then ever before. However, many that have donated funds in the past, can not donate any longer. As well, animal shelters have to shift what little resources they have to be able to care for the animals they have now. This is causing more shelters to have to euthenize a higher rate of perfectly adopt-able animals, due to lack of space and supplies for the animals.

Whether you have donated in the past and can't any more or are an animal lover new to thew community wanting to make a contribution, there are several ways to contribute. You can support your local animal shelter in many ways other than financially. Here are some economical ways to support your local animal shelter.

Volunteer

There are many jobs to be performed in an animal shelter in which one can donate their time. By volunteering time to your local animal shelter, you contribute to the animal shelter in two different ways. The first way is by doing work that needs to be done at a discounted price, which has been put on the back burner do to a lack of funding to pay to have someone do the work. Some professionals are in contracts where they can not perform the work they are experienced in such as electrical, except for the company they work for. However, they may be able to get their company to let them volunteer their time and only charges for the materials needed. The second way is, by volunteering time, the animal

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