Celebrate Animal Shelter Appreciation Week

   November 7 - 13 is National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week. 

There are approximately 4,000 animal shelters across the U.S., available to serve the estimated 6-8 million homeless animals who seek refuge each year. While 63 percent of American households include pets, only 10 percent of owned dogs and 18 percent of owned cats are adopted from animal shelters

How do you plan to honor your local animal shelter?  Here are just a few ideas:

• Visit your local animal shelter and find out how you can help.
• Adopt or foster an animal.
• Say thank you with a card, note or other gift to your local shelter.
• Support spay and neuter.
• Donate a dog bed or other supplies your shelter needs.
• ID your pet so they won't find themselves a shelter resident.

In 1996, The HSUS launched National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week (based on an idea from the Capital Humane Society in Lincoln, Nebraska). This campaign was designed to acknowledge and promote the invaluable role shelters play in their communities and to increase public awareness of animal welfare issues and shelter services. During National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week, the first full week of every November, The HSUS promotes and celebrates animal shelters across the country through media and public outreach.