Animal Charities

Conservation Charities

One World Wildlife is one of the largest conservation charities in the world.  Based in the UK, this organization works to protect and save species of animals around the world.  The three main areas they work in, and are most concerned with, are the UK, South America, Honduras, and the Mediterranean.  Their website is available at www.oneworldwildlife.org. 

World Land Trust (www.worldlandtrust.org) is another conservation charity working to protect and save animals.  Their main concern is with the rain forest, and protecting the animals inside the rain forest.  Their site also provides information on what people can do at home to save those species. 

Wildlife Charities

Black Pine Animal Park (http://blackpineanimalpark.org) is a charity based in Indiana that helps save exotic animals from around the world.  These are the animals that are ignored by pet rescue centers such as snakes, alligators, and other types of reptiles.  Since most pet rescue centers are not equipped to handle these types of animals, Black Pine provides some help. 

The Wildlife Conservation Society (www.wcs.org) is a conservation charity that works to save endangered animals and wild animals.  Their main focus is on saving animals that might otherwise be destroyed, or put down. 

Pet Charities

The most recognizable pet charity is the American Society for the Prevention Cruelty to Animals, or ASPCA.  The ASPCA works to find homes for abandoned and unwanted pets in local areas across the country.  They do have some restrictions on the animals they take in, especially in certain parts of the country.  They do not protect Pit Bulls, or certain types of exotic animals.

The ASPCA (http://www.aspca.org) provides a place where animals can feel welcome and loved until a suitable home can be found.  The animals are kept in one of their shelters until a new owner adopts them.  In only certain circumstances will they be euphemized. 

There are also pet charities that work to rescue a specific type of animal, or breed of animal.  These groups keep the pets in a safe and loving environment until a home can be found.  Alley Cat Rescue (www.saveacat.org) works to protect cats in the U.S.  There are also individual rescue centers for dogs such as Greyhound Rescue Inc (www.greyrescue.org) for Greyhound dogs.  Individual rescue centers are located across the country. 


How Do They Help Animals?

The purpose of an animal charity is to provide a safe haven for animals, and to rescue those animals from their destructive home.  In the case of wild animals, it may involve moving the animals to a location that reminds them of their natural habitat.  Pet rescue centers take abandoned animals, and pets that were mistreated by their owners.  The pets are then treated to a loving home where they will be nursed back to health, and provided with love and care. 

Animal charities are there to help the animals improve, and to provide a better home for those animals.  Older animals may find this the perfect place to spend their remaining years, while younger animals are treated to a comfort and safety that they never experienced while in the wild. 

What Do They Do?

Pet rescue centers are the cornerstone of animal charities.  These centers are there to take animals and pets from an unsafe environment and place them in loving and safe homes.  These centers typically accept donations and volunteers to help in the process, though they may still need to find funds.  In this case, they may release a rescue animal charity calendar that highlights some of the animals they have saved over the years. 

Wildlife charities need to find additional ways to raise the money needed to care for their animals.  They do this by releasing animal charity greeting cards and animal charity holiday cards.  These cards often feature a picture of the animals on the front, with an appropriate message inside.  They may also include a link to their website on the card, or information on the specific animals they help. 

How You Can Help

While you may think that you can only help by giving money, you can also help by giving time.  Many of the animal charities described above are desperately in need of volunteers to assist them in a variety of ways.  The best thing to do is to contact the charity directly, and ask how you can help.  There are a number of things that need to be done, and one of those things might fall into your area of expertise. 

Some people may be able to help by taking in animals as a foster parent.  Rescue shelters often use foster parents to care for animals until they have room for them in their shelter.  They also need people to help clean the animals, clean out the stalls, train the animals, and assist in day-to-day clerical work in the office.  Regardless of your expertise or experience level, you may be able to help.