If you care about animal rights, you might have countless petitions arriving in your inbox alerting you to the tragedy of kill shelters (that is shelters that euthanize animals they can’t find a home for). You could react by being outraged or you could stop to see a broader pattern.

Some shelters have a higher kill rate than others, such as this one at Randolph County, NC. There are usually several reasons for this – but one major reason is lack of money. Animal shelters just can’t handle the high volume of stray animals they accommodate. The aim is not to name and shame, the aim is to support and reform.

A very simple way of making a difference is to find out more about animal shelters near you and see what you can do. Do they have a high kill rate? Do they suffer from a lack of funding? Could more be done to connect animals with new owners via advertising, social media etc.?

You can volunteer for these shelters, support them financially and hold them accountable for their practices. By doing this you’ll be saving the lives of healthy, loving animals who deserve a chance at a new life.