By Melissa Rayner
April 30 is National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day, a cause that is near and dear to this writer’s heart. To celebrate, you’ll find many people extolling the virtues of opening your home to an animal in need, and many others sharing personal stories of how rescue pets have improved their lives.
I’d like to take a different approach.
Today, I’d like to take a moment to thank the hard-working volunteers who help make this day possible by giving of their time and money to help take care of animals in need. While humans’ fascination with animals dates back pretty much to our origins, formal animal shelters (as we know them today) are a far newer construction.
We went to the archives to highlight some of the top reasons to recognize shelter staff and volunteers in honor of National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day.
6 Reasons to Love an Animal Hero
1. These shelters perform a very important service that allows us to keep enjoying the company of our favorite furry companions while also doing everything in their power to protect the animals from overpopulation.[1]
2. Not only that, but they rescue homeless animals from a life on the streets and save others from abusive situations–also working hard to spread awareness for both causes.[2]
3. They are committed to their cause. Sometimes going so far as to put animals in need above themselves.[3]
4. And ensure that our four-legged friends are protected under the most dire of circumstances.[4]
5. They enable like-hearted individuals to help in whatever ways the are able.[5]
6. Because really aren’t we, after all, just two-legged animals ourselves?[6]
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About the Author
Melissa is obsessed with books, birds, and bonbons. She is a new mom and holds an MA in Applied Sociology. She also writes fiction and skips about the interweb as Emlyn Chand.
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REFERENCES:
- “A Cat’s Tail on Fire.” Grantham Journal 9 Sept. 1882: 7. 19th Century British Newspapers. Web. 27 Apr. 2015. [2]
- “Animal Shelter.” Derby Daily Telegraph 25 Oct. 1938: 7. 19th Century British Newspapers. Web. 27 Apr. 2015. [4]
- “Animal Shelter Opened at Braintree.” Chelmsford Chronicle 3 July 1931: 2. 19th Century British Newspapers. Web. 27 Apr. 2015. [6]
- “A Tax on Cats ?” Chelmsford Chronicle 7 Apr. 1939: 7. 19th Century British Newspapers. Web. 27 Apr. 2015. [1]
- “Kindness to Animals.” Portsmouth Evening News 25 Sept. 1882: 4. 19th Century British Newspapers. Web. 27 Apr. 2015. [3]
- “Pets Benefit from AP Story on Hurricane Aftermath.” The AP Log 3 May 1993: 5. Associated Press Collections Online. Web. 27 Apr. 2015. [5]