If you are too young to volunteer at the Humane Society of Charlotte (under age 10) you still can help and make a difference in the lives of our animals. You can support and help the animals at our shelter and those in the community in several different ways.

 Hold a shelter drive or fund raiser

This is a great project to do either by yourself or with a group of friends. You can collect items on our wish list that are needed to help take care of animals. You can create colorful posters and signs to hang up in your neighborhood or at your parents’ office. Once you have completed your collection, let us know when you will bring them to the shelter so we can thank you personally!

There are several ways that you can help collect money to help our animals. Here are a few ideas to get you going, use your imagination and we are sure that you can come up with more ideas.

 · Instead of birthday presents, ask for gifts for dogs and cats to donate to the shelter

· Have a bake sale or yard sale

· Make "Adopt Me" T-shirts for dogs or cats who have been here for awhile

Create a Humane club

Organize a "pennies for the puppies" drive at your school.  The Humane Society of the United States sponsors a program called “Young Voices” just for teens. You can start your own Humane Teen Club at your school. Get a group of kids together and find an advisor who can help you at your school. If you go to www.humaneteen.org, you can get more information and helpful tips.

Be a responsible pet owner  

1. Make sure that your pet and pets you know have an ID tag and are micro chipped. If your pet ever gets lost, this will aid in getting him or her back home. Your pet cannot tell people where you live, so the ID tag and microchip may be the only way that someone can contact you to reunite you with your pet.
2. Get a current license for your pet. It is the law that dogs and cats are licensed. Any dog or cat over the age of four months must be vaccinated against rabies. Send proof of the vaccination to the county and you will get a tag for your animal that proves the dog or cat is licensed. http://www.petdata.com
3. Make sure your pet gets proper food. Dogs eat dog food and cats eat cat food. Each has its own specific dietary needs. You should eliminate “people food.” There are several foods that are safe for humans that are poisonous for cats and dogs (such as chocolate, onions, raisins & grapes).
4. Always make sure that your pet has fresh, clean water! Animals are unable to go to the refrigerator and pour themselves a drink. You should to make sure they have clean water at all times.
5. Exercise your pet everyday. It is healthy for them and you. Take your dog out to play fetch, drag toys for your cat to chase and hunt. It is healthy for them and they also love the attention and time together.

 

If you have any questions, please contact Cat Belteau, volunteer coordinator, via email: cbelteau@humanesocietyofcharlotte.org or phone: (704) 377-0534 x234