Pet shelters are a great way to help out society. Giving stays shelter and a chance to find a forever home is a noble job and is also inspiring. This doesn’t only give them a chance for a better life but also sends out a message that everyone has a right to a better and brighter life.

Most pet shelters are run by volunteers and are funded by donations or charity events. Their mission is to rescue animals in need and give them a second chance at life by taking them in, giving them a home, feeding them, saving them from thirst and finding them a loving home.

If you want to run a pet shelter, you’re a blessing! The world needs more compassionate people like yourself. To help you out in making the world a better place, here’s a list of everything you should know about running a pet shelter:

What do I need to start a pet shelter?

First and foremost, you first need to have everything needed to start a shelter even before you start rescuing. The first initial thing you need is funding. You can ask for donations and start charity events to come up with the money needed to build and supply your shelter.

There are various pet donation charities out there, try reaching out and show them your intention, plan and willingness to start. Once you have funding, you can now start getting other necessary things. Here’s a checklist to help you start:

• A venue – This is where you’ll be sheltering the animals. Either you rent out a place or build it from scratch to make sure it’s suitable to shelter animals. Make sure it has windows, insulation vents, drains, cages or dividers and has air circulation.
• Volunteers – To run a functional shelter, you need volunteers. Handling a room full of strays is a tough job for one person. So to invite volunteers through fliers, social media posts and even through posters.
• Have a plan – Before anything else, you need a plan. Free-flowing into opening a shelter can result in a huge mess. So consider coming up with a functional and concrete plan before opening a shelter.
• Have the equipment – You’ll also need some equipment in the shelter such as food and water bowls, pet harnesses, mops, pet gloves, tables, chairs and so much more. To run the shelter smoothly make sure to have all the necessary equipment on hand.
• Cages – When rescuing strays, you’ll need cages to put them in when transporting them back to the shelter. This is essential to have to keep them contained and secured during travel. Plus this also keeps everyone in the car safe from getting bitten or scratched.
• First aid kit – Accidents and injuries are very common when running a shelter. So in case of an emergency, always have a first aid kit on hand.
• Tactical reach pole – This is used during rescue. This is to capture wild or rabid strays. This is essential to have in any shelter so have at least 3 or more.
• Grooming supplies – Grooming supplies are essential to maintain the animal’s hygiene and health. Always clean and sterilize after every use.
• Toys – Last but not least are toys. This will keep strays happy and active in the shelter and can also prevent depression and boredom. Plus these are great things to chew on when they feel anxious or scared.

How do I protect my pet shelter?

One effective way is to consider getting insurance. There are various insurance coverages you can get that will not only protect you from loads of danger but will also make your shelter seem more credible to the public.

Plus you’re protected from lawsuits, damages caused by accidents and natural calamities, animal or volunteer injury and so much more. So if you’re looking for a way to keep your shelter protected, consider hiring an insurance advisor.

An insurance advisor will be able to help you get the right coverage for your shelter. Plus they’ll help you fully understand the coverage you’re getting, the process to file a claim and so much more. They can also eliminate all the tedious processes one has to go through when getting insurance.

How do I find volunteers for the pet shelter?

There are various ways to look for people interested in volunteering. All you have to do is come up with a poster containing everything about the shelter and spread the word. You can post the poster on popular social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Youtube.

And also post it around areas such as parks, bus stops, pet shops, grocery stores and so on. But make sure to ask permission before posting. So if you’re wondering what your poster should contain, here’s a list:

• Contact info – Make sure to add a phone number or an email address so people can contact you. This is important since this is what will contact you with the interested volunteers.
• Your mission – For them to know what they’re getting into, make sure to add in your vision and mission.
• Requirements – Add in what you require them to have such as a valid ID and whatever it may be. But if you don’t require them to do anything, you can cut this out.
• Schedule – Before joining and committing to anything, people want to know if it’ll fit their schedule. So add a tentative schedule in the poster as well.
• Venue – You can choose to add this or mention it when they reach out through text, call or email.