A fostered dog with a volunteer.
A no-kill animal shelter may be a physical location that does not euthanize unwanted pets but instead houses animals until they can be adopted. However, you can also create a no-kill "shelter" that is a network of volunteers who rescue and foster animals in their homes so they will not be euthanized. Either way, you should run a no-kill animal shelter as a business, with accurate record keeping, strategies and goals. You will need a variety of community and external sources; the most important ingredient is dedicated volunteers. Strong leadership by the program's director and commitment on everyone's part will ensure the organization's success.
Instructions
1. Get it down on paper.
Define your shelter's goals and draw up a charter. Your no-kill shelter will be more successful if the goals are defined first. Get together for a discussion with some like-minded people, including at least one veterinarian, who will be a part of the network. Make sure your goals are realistic, such as how many pets each household will be allowed to be foster. Provide a copy to all involved parties.
2. You will need start-up cash.
Secure seed money before launching the shelter. Most no-kill shelters are privately run and rely on donations and fund-raising projects, so you need a continuous cash flow. Soliciting contributions from the networking group or using personal savings are some ways to develop a seed money cache.
3. Recruit volunteers. A large volunteer base is the most important thing for the success of a rescue cooperative. Recruit as many as possible so that the work can be divided up among the members.
4. Arrange for medical services. No-kill organizations need veterinary services for vaccinations, medications, and spaying and neutering. Talk to veterinarians in the community to determine which ones are willing to provide medical services at no charge. Try to sign up two so that they will have relief in duties as well as expenses to their clinics.
5. Network in the larger community. To keep funds coming in, you must reach out to the community, not just like-minded animal lovers. Giving talks to churches, clubs or school groups can help to drum up interest in volunteering and participating in fund-raisers. Send press releases to the media and offer to give interviews when your organization reaches milestones or if you have a heartwarming story about a rescue.
6. Keep a log of fund-raising ideas. There are many options, ranging from charity walk-a-thons to bake sales. Have occasional fund-raising brainstorming meetings and write down the ideas. While one or two are in progress, keep others in the queue to be implemented next.
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