4 Ways to Save A Pet This Holiday Season
You may not be able to save every pet but when you adopt a pet from a local shelter or rescue organization, you save two pet’s lives. First, the one you adopt, and second, the pet who can take its place with a foster family or in the shelter. More families are reportedly bring a new pet home during the holiday season than at any other time of the year. As the holidays approach we thought it would be a great time to feature rescue campaigns starting with 4 local ones.
#RescuesRock!
While we do not recommend impulse adoptions or giving pets as unplanned gifts, we believe rescues deserve a second chance in a loving home and that Life is Better With Pets. If you are considering adopting a dog, take our Breed Quiz to see your best match (I am a Party Pug) and research using our Breed Library.
Here Blue’s Happy Tail HERE
4 Great Rescue Campaigns:
The OSPCA’s iAdopt For The Holidays Campaign
Help the Ontario SPCA place as many pets as possible in loving homes this holiday season through the new iAdopt for the Holidays campaign – November 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015 in Canada. Our friends Edie the Pug and Igor Pugdog are big supporters. The campaign aims to save the lives of orphaned pets and raises awareness about the importance of pet adoption.
“It’s important to educate the public on the importance of pet adoption,” says Tanya Firmage, Director of Animal Welfare & Operations. “We would like to see as many animals as possible find their forever homes this holiday season and iAdopt for the Holidays is a great way to make this happen.”
“Few of life’s joys compare to the warm connection we feel with animals. Whether it’s a long relaxing walk with a loyal canine, sleeping in on a Sunday morning with a cozy cat by your side, or watching your child’s amazement as his new bunny munches on carrots, very few things in life can compare to the unconditional love, companionship and fun given by our animal friends!”
Each adopted pet will go home with an adoption kit including tips to help make the pet’s transition into their forever home as easy as possible for both pets and pet parents.
iAdopt Contest
Do you have an adopted pet? Enter the iAdopt Contest for your chance to win!
- Step 1 – Enter to win the grand prize of FREE PET FOOD FOR A YEAR from Royal Canin.
- Step 2 – Tag photos of your adopted pet on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #iAdopt.
- Step 3 – Repeat steps 1 & 2 daily from Nov 1 – Dec 31, 2015!
Kilo the Pug and Tinker Beau the Frenchie are entering of course.
PugALug Pug Rescue’s “PugClaus” Party Dec 6, 2015, PawsWay Toronto
Help pugs in need by attending PugALug’s PugClaus party and fundraiser. Each year the rescue group holds a great party at Purina’s PawsWay Toronto. Last year Kilo and I had a blast! Most of the pugs dress up and there are vendors to shop. Check out last years photos HERE.
Pugalug Pug Rescue is a registered charity that provides a bridge between a rescue pug’s past life and its future forever home. It is a group of volunteers who are committed to helping rescued pugs by providing medical care, loving attention, comfort, food, companionship and a forever home.
Can’t attend- No Problem you can still help pugs in need, donate or buy products like a Pug Calendar HERE.
Don’t miss the 2015 PugClaus party this Dec 6, 2015, 2:00PM – 4:00PM at PawsWay, 245 Queens Quay West, Toronto, ON (click for directions)
Shop For The Holidays & Save Lives
ARF’s Annual Online Auction opens on December 2nd, 2015 and will close at 10 am on December 5th, 2015. You can stock up on favorites for the holidays knowing you are helping a good cause. All of the proceeds raised by the auction will be split 50/50 between ARF Ontario and their sister group The Ontario Canine Spay Neuter Task Force.
Don’t Miss The Toronto Christmas Pet Show This Weekend
This event aims to spread awareness of responsible pet ownership. Many local rescue groups will be attending and have booths at the event. Drop by, chat with volunteers first hand and meet some of the adoptable dogs. It’s a great way for first-time pet owners to learn about specific breeds and get expert advice.
You can make donations, buy merchandise and support various groups including:
- Don Cherry’s Pet Rescue Foundation (Take a photo with Santa)
- Boston Terrier Rescue Canada
- Boxer Rescue Ontario
- Rescue Dogs Match
- Speaking of Dogs Rescue
For more information and to purchase tickets click HERE.
Before bringing a new Pet into your home, consider these tips:
- Adopt, Don’t shop! Visit one of the rescues listed on our site, Pet Finder.com or check your local Shelters and Humane Societies.
- Help Stop Puppy Mills– never buy a puppy at a pet store or if you don’t know about the breeder. Spread the word. (Read: Say NO to Puppy Mills)
- Spay and neuter your pets and educate others to do the same.
- November is BlogPaws’ Adopt A Senior Dog Month. Older dogs need and give love and may be a better option than a hyper puppy for some people.
- Do not give pets as unplanned gifts and do your research.
We’re making a holiday donation of some food and toys.
Great way to promote adoptions and rescue.
We always delivery a Christmas donation to our local shelter!
Great post! All of our pets are shelter rescues! We also try to make donations as much as we can!
Thanks for these! I plan to make some donations this year.
We love that so many organizations are positively promoting adoption for the holidays. It is a wonderful and fun time to welcome a furry friend into your family, and supporting shelters and rescues is a wonderful thing to do! We will be bringing some toys and things over to our local rescue for the adoptable kitties for Christmas.
These are great suggestions. We donate food and toys every year.
Great post and thanks for sharing and getting awareness out in a positive way. There are so many organizations here in Colorado it’s hard to know who needs the donations the most!
I was just thinking the same thing today
You is pawesome, bringing the need to adopt to the forefront!!
Thank you so much for sharing all the adoption and rescues places. What a great post, one that deserves to be shared, so we all get the word out.
Yes I know these particular ones might not be convenient for many but I think it is great to share.
“When you adopt a pet from a local shelter or rescue organization, you save two pet’s lives. First, the one you adopt, and second, the pet who can take its place”
Anyone who has worked in animal welfare, thanks you for repeating this because it is so very true!
Thanks Bernard. I find that so powerful.
It’s wonderful that there are so many campaigns around the holiday season to help homeless pets find forever homes. All pets deserve a loving home!
What great ideas to help some rescue animals this holiday season! Unfortunately our neighborhood doesn’t allow more than two dogs (and we already have three eek!), so no rescues for us this holiday season. We will certainly be donating some supplies though!
Yes, I can not take another dog right now so I’ll be supporting various rescue organizations.
Great ideas! I know a few people who also do holiday photo fundraisers for local rescues.
Great post! It’s always great to remember homeless pets, especially during the holidays. Bringing them cheer in turn brings us cheer!
This is a wonderful list of activities and suggestions to help make the holidays bright for homeless animals! One of the local shelters here is asking families to foster a dog for a week over Thanksgiving (just so the pooches can have a break and get a sliver of turkey, maybe, for the holiday). Their aim is to clear the shelter for the holidays, and I love it! We’re also lucky to have some local business who pitch in to help cover adoption fees this time of year. There are definitely things to do besides adopting (if one isn’t looking to adopt at the moment)!
These are great idea! Adoption is the best. I may just have to enter the photo contest. I couldn’t be happier with my rescued kitties.
These sound like wonderful ways to help make a difference for homeless pets! I think the simplest way of all is to share an adoptable pet on social media because you just never know who will see it and be inspired to either adopt that pet or another one from the shelter.
We are all about saving pets and will gladly share this post!
Saving animals is such a worthy life mission, even though they can’t give much in return.