Grants And Donations Help Abused Animals

After the news of Michael Vick’s dog fighting ring died down, many people began to forget about the awful torture that the dogs went through. Once the story was off the front pages, it was out of site out of mind until Vick’s name came up again. That is until recently. A show put on by National Geographics “Dogtown” has brought all that and more back into the spotlight, and it is all about dogs that have been rescued and rehabilitated- including the four that they rescued from Michael Vick’s property.
I have always been a dog lover, so this show really interested me. It’s as heart breaking as it is inspiring. I love seeing the way that each dog’s personality comes out, and how bad habits can change with love and training-even in dogs who have been forced to fight.
The best part of it is the attention that it is giving the “Best Friends Animal Sanctuary” that is located in Kanab, Utah. This is where they are filming the show. They show how they work with the dogs, and how they find homes for them after rehabilitation. After watching the show you really feel like you want to do something to help. I was checking out their website and saw a lot of comments from people like me who were interested in starting an “Animal Sanctuary” in their own state.
Here is what I found out: A great way to get started is to apply for a government grant. There are many grant programs available for non-profit organizations such as this to get the funding they need to get the operation off the ground. There are different places that you can search for grants, but one of the easier ones is http://www.grantgenerator.com they have an easier way to search for the different grants that are available.
Most of these types of operations wouldn’t survive without government grant money and donations from people and businesses who want to help. This type of endeavor takes not only time, energy, and resources, but also training with animals. If you are not able to start your own shelter-one of the best ways that you can help is by donating. You can donate either money, supplies, or time. Donating to these types of organizations is also a tax deduction, so it can be a win/win situation. Another way to help keep animals from being abused is to spay or neuter your pet.
Also, if you or someone you know are looking at getting a pet, consider adoption of a “rehabbed” pet from a shelter like “Best Friends” where the animals have gone through training (handlers can tell you about the animal’s personality beforehand to make sure it’s a good match). There are so many great animals that need good homes. Check out http://www.bestfriends.org for more info on adoption, donations, or for info on how to care for the pets you already have. There are many other shelters out there that need donations. You can find a list of other organizations that accept donations at their website as well.