Summer is finally here, and what better way to spend your break than making the world a better place for animals? No matter how small or big the animal, every creature can benefit from a little human help. Here are 5 ways to give yourself or your kids an opportunity to do some good from your own backyard!
1. Create A Toad Abode
Give toads a cozy home by adding a “toad abode” to your garden. Simply re-purpose an old flower pot, turn it on its side, and bury it halfway into the dirt. This flower pot will look like a little cave to a toad! Most toads are nocturnal, so don’t feel discouraged if you don’t see much of your toad abode tenants.
Don’t have a flower pot to spare? A black bucket can do the job too!
Shop our buckets here.
2. Help Butterflies Cool Off
Create a drinking station for butterflies using a large shallow dish or container. Fill it with a layer of sand, a thin layer of soil, and then gravel. Top off the dish with enough water to partially cover the gravel, so butterflies can land on the gravel and drink! Even butterflies need to stay hydrated in the summer months, too!
Need the perfect drinking dish for the butterflies? Check out our shallow feed pan! It’s the ideal size for butterflies to stop by for a sip of water.
3. Care For Neighborhood Cats
Ask your local shelter if there are any trap-neuter-return efforts for cats happening in your neighborhood. Spaying and neutering local cats can help lower the number of stray cats. It also provides an opportunity to find the cats a new home! Helping a cat find its own family is the best way to get cats off the streets and prevent more homeless kitties!
Want to clean up the neighborhood cats before they go to new homes? Shop these grooming wipes from Earthbath to freshen up the cats and prevent any fungus!
4. Foster Or Volunteer Locally
Apply to be a foster family or volunteer at your local animal shelter! If your family is thinking about adopting an animal, fostering is a great way to practice for a new pet. Fostering gives an animal the chance to relax and adjust to life outside of a shelter. It also helps make room in the shelter for another animal to come off the streets! If you’re not ready for an animal in your home, volunteering is a helpful way to support shelters. Most shelters are always looking for an extra hand!
If you need to stock up on some supplies before fostering, check out our constantly growing section of pet supplies here!
5. Create A Nature Kit
Pack binoculars, nature facts about your area, a bird book, a journal and colored pencils, then head to your local state or national park! Your entrance fees to the park will support conservation programs, and you’ll end the summer with a journal full of cool discoveries.
Share Your Adventures With Us!
If you take a picture of yourself helping an animal or discovering something outdoors, tag us in your Instagram or Facebook post and we’ll share it!
If you’re looking for other ways to help animals, particularly shelter animals, check out our blog post about ways to help without adopting.
A special thank you to The Humane Society of the United States for providing the content for this blog. The Humane Society of the United States works to stop animal cruelty and achieve a humane society. Please follow this link to donate and learn more.
Leave a Reply