When people find out that I volunteer at an animal shelter, or that my mommy and daddy volunteer at an animal shelter, we get asked "How can I get involved?"
There are so many ways to help... both live and "virtually" that if you have a desire to help, you should be able to find the right way to do so!
I go to SAVE - the shelter that took care of me until I found Mommy and Daddy - and I do "playgroups." Daddy goes with me, and we play with dogs in the yard. This helps socialize the dogs, and gives them time to play... not just go on walks. (Daddy says that "socialize" means that we are helping them learn how to play with each other, and how to get along with other dogs.)
If you have time to walk dogs, most shelters have volunteer opportunities where you can walk a dog.... it's a huge help to the staff as you are getting the dogs out for exercise and to go to the bathroom, and you are again - socializing the dogs.
Do you have a specific skill? For instance, my mommy runs the FaceBook page for SAVE. Do you have the ability to network and get online? Facebook and other social media is a good way to get the word out, and to help show pictures of animals looking for homes. Are you a web designer? Shelters can use help designing websites.
Are you good at networking and encouraging donations? See if your local shelter needs help with fundraising.
Ask what your local shelter needs, and "fundraise" that item. Last week my friends at SAVE said they needed towels.... I told all my friends about it, and they sent towels to the shelter.
I guess what I am saying is that if you like animals, and you want to help... call your local shelter and ask what they might need. It's a place to start!! And there are PLENTY of shelters that need your help! Both me and Lily came from animal shelters... and we both learned a lot from the people that volunteered there and spent time with us!
Wet kisses!
Frankie
Life through the eyes of a rescued pit bull,named Frankie!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
BECOMING AN AMBASSADOR... IT'S HARD WORK!
Hi everyone!!
This week has been very exciting! I made lots of new friends thanks to Patrick (the Pit Bull from Newark, NJ), and the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Examiner.com posted an article all about me!
A lot of my new friends have been asking me and my mommy how I got involved in the community.. they want to know how they can get involved, too! I just got home from my weekly obedience class, and I can tell you - it's a lot of work! But it's fun, and it's worth it! (It's pretty neat-o when Mommy and Daddy tell me how proud they are of me!)
You already know that I was abandoned at an animal shelter last year. As soon as the staff opened the shelter that day and found me sitting there, they started socializing me. When Mommy and Daddy started fostering me, they continued socializing me - which was one of the most important aspects of my training! Basically, Mommy and Daddy made sure that I met EVERYONE!! Big people, little people, cats, dogs, roosters, chickens, men, women.... I met everyone! Mommy and Daddy even took me to PetExpo!!
If you want to get involved in the community, meet everyone you can! It helps you as a doggie, but it also lets people see what a good boy (or girl) you are!
Because the shelter where I came from does a community Humane Education Outreach program, I was pretty lucky! My Aunt Elaine works at the shelter, and she asked Mommy if I could go to schools with her, because I was such a good boy. Mommy also asks the shelter if they need me to attend events with them to get people interested in the shelter.
The next step is my formal training. I go to a basic obedience class every week. And then Mommy makes me practice every night for an hour. There are 8 - 9 other dogs in my class, and it helps me to focus by practicing with so many other doggies around. I love going to class! It's fun to learn new things! And my friend Oreo sits next to me and sings!
I am going to these classes so that I can pass my AKC Canine Good Citizen test in the fall. Mommy found me a link about the program. It says ".. CGC program started in 1989... it is designed to reward dogs who have good manners at home and in the community. The Canine Good Citizen Program is a two-part program that stresses responsible pet ownership for owners and basic good manners for dogs. All dogs who pass the 10-step CGC test may receive a certificate from the American Kennel Club." (Check out AKC.ORG)
Most groups that you will work with will want you to be CGC certified, so it's very important. Mommy says that after I pass that test I will have to take a therapy dog test, too.... but that won't be until towards the end of the year!
Hope that helps a little! If you have more questions, just ask me!! Now I am going to sleep! I'm tired from my class!
Wet Kisses!
Frankie
This week has been very exciting! I made lots of new friends thanks to Patrick (the Pit Bull from Newark, NJ), and the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Examiner.com posted an article all about me!
A lot of my new friends have been asking me and my mommy how I got involved in the community.. they want to know how they can get involved, too! I just got home from my weekly obedience class, and I can tell you - it's a lot of work! But it's fun, and it's worth it! (It's pretty neat-o when Mommy and Daddy tell me how proud they are of me!)
You already know that I was abandoned at an animal shelter last year. As soon as the staff opened the shelter that day and found me sitting there, they started socializing me. When Mommy and Daddy started fostering me, they continued socializing me - which was one of the most important aspects of my training! Basically, Mommy and Daddy made sure that I met EVERYONE!! Big people, little people, cats, dogs, roosters, chickens, men, women.... I met everyone! Mommy and Daddy even took me to PetExpo!!
If you want to get involved in the community, meet everyone you can! It helps you as a doggie, but it also lets people see what a good boy (or girl) you are!
Because the shelter where I came from does a community Humane Education Outreach program, I was pretty lucky! My Aunt Elaine works at the shelter, and she asked Mommy if I could go to schools with her, because I was such a good boy. Mommy also asks the shelter if they need me to attend events with them to get people interested in the shelter.
The next step is my formal training. I go to a basic obedience class every week. And then Mommy makes me practice every night for an hour. There are 8 - 9 other dogs in my class, and it helps me to focus by practicing with so many other doggies around. I love going to class! It's fun to learn new things! And my friend Oreo sits next to me and sings!
I am going to these classes so that I can pass my AKC Canine Good Citizen test in the fall. Mommy found me a link about the program. It says ".. CGC program started in 1989... it is designed to reward dogs who have good manners at home and in the community. The Canine Good Citizen Program is a two-part program that stresses responsible pet ownership for owners and basic good manners for dogs. All dogs who pass the 10-step CGC test may receive a certificate from the American Kennel Club." (Check out AKC.ORG)
Most groups that you will work with will want you to be CGC certified, so it's very important. Mommy says that after I pass that test I will have to take a therapy dog test, too.... but that won't be until towards the end of the year!
Hope that helps a little! If you have more questions, just ask me!! Now I am going to sleep! I'm tired from my class!
Wet Kisses!
Frankie
Saturday, April 9, 2011
PIT BULLS UNITED!
Wow!! I am a lucky dog!
Here I am writing my first blog... and I don't even have thumbs!
My name is Frankie, and I am a pit bull. Yup! I said it... I am a Pit Bull! Me and my sister Lily are both Pit Bulls... and we both love to cuddle and kiss and play!
Today I met two more Pit Bulls on Facebook... Sarge (who has a neat-o blog) and Patrick. You know.... Patrick! The Pit Bull that was thrown in a garbage chute in Newark, NJ. My mommy told Patrick that if he got 500 of his friend to "like" my Facebook Fan page, that she'd donate money to the shelter where I was adopted from. Not only did his friends "like" me, but they wrote me nice notes, and they even "liked" the shelter where I came from! People must really like Patrick!
There are a lot more doggies like me, and Lily, and Patrick out there, you know! Me and Lily were both abandoned. (Luckily now we have Mommy and Daddy!) Lots of Pit Bulls are abandoned! There is another one now at the shelter where I came from (SAVE, A friend to homeless animals.) Her name is Bunny. And where Lily came from (Woodbridge Animal Shelter) it is almost all Pit Bulls! If you are looking for a pet, please go to a local shelter! and if you want to help, but cannot adopt... sponsor a dog at a shelter. SAVE lets you sponsor a dog for $60 for 6 months to help defray costs of medicines and general care. Lots of other shelters do, too!
Here are the websites of the nice people that helped me and Lily before we found our home:
http://www.savehomelessanimals.org/
http://members.petfinder.org/~NJ254/
Here I am writing my first blog... and I don't even have thumbs!
My name is Frankie, and I am a pit bull. Yup! I said it... I am a Pit Bull! Me and my sister Lily are both Pit Bulls... and we both love to cuddle and kiss and play!
Today I met two more Pit Bulls on Facebook... Sarge (who has a neat-o blog) and Patrick. You know.... Patrick! The Pit Bull that was thrown in a garbage chute in Newark, NJ. My mommy told Patrick that if he got 500 of his friend to "like" my Facebook Fan page, that she'd donate money to the shelter where I was adopted from. Not only did his friends "like" me, but they wrote me nice notes, and they even "liked" the shelter where I came from! People must really like Patrick!
There are a lot more doggies like me, and Lily, and Patrick out there, you know! Me and Lily were both abandoned. (Luckily now we have Mommy and Daddy!) Lots of Pit Bulls are abandoned! There is another one now at the shelter where I came from (SAVE, A friend to homeless animals.) Her name is Bunny. And where Lily came from (Woodbridge Animal Shelter) it is almost all Pit Bulls! If you are looking for a pet, please go to a local shelter! and if you want to help, but cannot adopt... sponsor a dog at a shelter. SAVE lets you sponsor a dog for $60 for 6 months to help defray costs of medicines and general care. Lots of other shelters do, too!
Here are the websites of the nice people that helped me and Lily before we found our home:
http://www.savehomelessanimals.org/
http://members.petfinder.org/~NJ254/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)