Reaching out

June is Adopt-A-Cat Month, but you can help animals in your community all year-round. Look, we get the shelter volunteer thing: The work can be depressing, and it's truly not for everyone. People who want to "take them all home" are not really candidates for this sort of volunteering, nor are people who cannot enjoy the small victories of a perfect pet placement or a sick pet saved when other pets aren't as lucky.

But just because you aren't cut out for shelter volunteering doesn't mean you can't help animals in your community. And in these current economic situations, your help has never been more needed.

The fact is that every little bit helps. After all, if every one of us animal lovers did one small thing a couple of times a year, the total effort would be grand indeed.

Here are a few suggestions for helping animals:

• Help others take better care of their pets. If you have a friend, neighbor or relative who is having difficulty caring for a pet because of advanced age or illness, offer to help out. Pets are extremely important to those who are cut off from social activities. Helping people keep their pets is a kindness to both pet and pet owner.

What can you do? Pick up food or litter, or offer to take the pet to the veterinarian when needed. Many times, people who rely on others for assistance are reluctant to ask for more help on account of a pet. So ask if you can help. After all, if you're already going to the pet-supply store or veterinarian, is it really that much trouble to pick up some extra supplies or stay for an additional appointment?

• Make a call for animals. Animal cruelty should not be tolerated, not only for the animals, but also because of the proven link between animal cruelty and crimes against people. Too often, though, animal cruelty is shrugged off by the judicial system as a lesser crime.

Don't accept a "boys will be boys" attitude when it comes to animal cruelty. Call, e-mail and write to prosecutors and judges in animal cruelty cases. Demand that children get the help they need to break the cycle of cruelty and that adult offenders are punished to the fullest extent of the law. Public opinion counts in these cases!

When animal-related legislation is introduced, study it and then let your elected representatives know your stand. Not all animalrelated legislation is good, so do your homework.

• Pay to spay. Don't place an animal in a new home unless you've made sure the pet won't reproduce. You may think you're doing a good deed in a finding home for a pet you cannot keep, or for a litter of kittens born in your garage to a semi-wild mother cat. But if you don't pay to spay, you really aren't helping.

Instead of placing a pet for free, spay or neuter the animal and then charge an adoption fee to cover the cost of the procedure. You'll save the adopter time and will ensure that the pet you place won't add to the overpopulation problem.

• Help a shelter or rescue group. Volunteers are always needed to help with the animals in the shelter or to foster pets who need a home environment. But if you don't want to contribute on a regular basis, then see if you can help on a short-term project. Can you check people in at a spay-neuter clinic? Work a pet-behavior hot line now and then? Follow up on adoptions?

Many groups have fund raisers throughout the year. They need volunteers to help with ticket sales, setup, concessions and cleanup.

You can also help by finding out what your local shelter or rescue groups need in the way of services or supplies and then calling to ask for donations. Shelters are in constant need not only of pet food, litter, old newspapers and towels, but also office and janitorial supplies and building materials. Get a wish list from your shelter and get to work!