Volunteering

With the increase in the number of yearly natural disasters, rescue efforts for pets in affected areas has become a growing need. This year alone animal rescue volunteers have already had to deal with the aftermath of Michael, Florence, and a few other smaller tropical storms. Providing relief during disasters like Florence and Michael often […]

awe·some adjective \ˈȯ-səm\ = terrific, extraordinary, vs. fail·ure noun \ˈfāl-yər\ = lack of success. If you’ve ever volunteered as a foster home for a shelter or rescue, you may have heard the term “foster failure” when a foster home decides they’ve fallen so deeply in love with the pet they are fostering, they decide to become their adoptive […]

Service dogs are incredible. They are unwavering in their unconditional love and devotion to their jobs, which in hospitals, is to give comfort to humans who are suffering. NBC Nightly News has this story about how service dogs are helping the Boston bombing victims in the hospitals, saying, “Of all the traits that make dogs […]

We’re kicking off 2013 with a resolution for the year. We’re promising to #ResolveToSolve pet homelessness, and we’re urging animal lovers everywhere to pledge to do the same.  If you have an extra 3 minutes, you can potentially save a homeless pet. If you have an hour, you can do even better! If you have […]

Recently my foster dog, Clooney, got adopted. He is the 36th foster pup we’ve had in our home, and each and every time it’s tough to send them off even though it’s right. Despite the tears, my family keeps fostering dogs in need because it’s just so rewarding. It’s an amazing way to give back, […]

I was a new volunteer at the South LA Animal Shelter years ago when Cindy came up to me. She was looking for a black dog because she had heard that black pets had it especially hard at animal shelters. “It’s true,” I told her. “Black pets are more commonly overlooked or feared, so they […]

Good kennel behavior can make all the difference in keeping dogs ready for adoption! Unfortunately some shelter dogs begin to exhibit signs of kennel stress such as barking, jumping, or being highly reactive. In many cases the longer they’re caged, the worse it gets. This can turn off adopters who often assume that’s how the […]

Animal rescue can be hard work, but it is always always always fulfilling. The backbone of rescue is fostering. Being a foster parent to a homeless pet is a great way to give back, to get involved, and to change your life for the better! By fostering you too can be a part of healing […]

I dare you to watch these two videos without being totally inspired.  Recently, our own Laurie Wisneski and her husband Frank opened their home to a special foster dog named Chauncy.  Frank, a photographer, volunteers his time with United Hope for Animals, taking amazing photos of the animals in the Baldwin Park Animal Shelter. This […]

It’s one thing to know it, but another to prove it! A recent study focused on shelter dogs in Vienna, Austria. Their goal? To find out what would increase the chances for long-term shelter dogs to get adopted. It turns out they were able to conclude and actually prove that socialization and basic training were […]