If you're looking for a new pet, there are plenty of ways you can help animals. Rather than buying from a breeder, consider adopting a pet from your local shelter or rescue group. These adoption agencies house many pets that are given away when people move, as well as animals who come from neglectful or abusive homes.When you adopt a pet from a shelter or rescue group, not only are you giving an animal a second chance in life, you'll also save money. Adoption costs are typically lower than what you'd pay for a pet from a breeder, and adopted pets often come with all of their vaccinations, spay/neuter surgery, and microchip procedure already complete.Many shelters and rescue groups have purebred dogs and puppies available for adoption.Shelters and rescues house all kinds of animals. You can adopt a dog or cat, birds, smaller animals like rodents and reptiles, as well as larger animals like horses and livestock.To find a shelter near you, you can browse online or use The Shelter Project's online search engine.;
, Most cities and suburbs are home to numerous stray and feral cats. While stray cats are typically domestic pets that escaped or were abandoned, feral cats tend to live their lives entirely as wild animals.There are a number of ways you can help these outdoor cats, from reuniting them with their owners to simply providing them with food and water.


Consider leaving some cat food and a bowl of water out for stray and feral cats in your neighborhood. Be aware, though, that leaving out food may lure more cats to your yard, as well as other wild animals looking for food.
If you see a collar, it probably has an ID tag on it, which means it is a stray or runaway cat. If you can safely approach the cat, check the ID tag and contact the cat's owner.If you have a carrier and can safely get the cat into the crate, take it to a veterinarian or local shelter. Someone at either facility will be able to scan the cat for a microchip to determine if the cat has a registered owner and find a way to contact the owner.If you cannot safely approach or "catch" the cat, write down a detailed description and contact your local veterinary clinics, animal shelters, and rescue groups. Many people who have lost a pet will leave descriptions of the cat with these facilities in hopes that someone might call in a matching description. Let the facility attendants know where and when you saw the cat, and leave an address or phone number so that they can get back to you if an owner turns up., Trap-neuter-return (TNR) is a common and beneficial strategy that can help control the stray/feral cat population and ensure some quality of life among the existing population. TNR involves humanely trapping stray/feral cats, having them spayed or neutered by a vet, vaccinating them against rabies, and returning the cats to their outdoor community.Neutered cats are less likely to roam far from their immediate neighborhood, reducing the likelihood of being hit by cars or killed by other wild animals.Spayed/neutered cats will not reproduce, meaning that each TNR cat will not give birth to a whole new litter of feral cats. Spaying/neutering feral cats also reduces the chances of fighting among the cats in your neighborhood.You can identify cats in your neighborhood that have already been spayed/neutered by looking at their ears. Veterinarians and spay/neuter professionals typically use a surgical tool to "tip" or "notch" one of the cat's ears to let other concerned neighbors know that the cat has already been through the TNR process.Use a humane box trap to trap a stray/feral cat that visits your yard. You can then take the captured cat to a vet to be spayed/neutered and vaccinated.
Many animal services, such as the ASPCA, offer free spay/neuter services for feral cats. These agencies will also offer vaccinations and/or ear-tipping for a low cost.
 If you cannot adopt an animal or perform TNR services, there are still ways you can care for animals in your community. Whether you have a yard surrounding your house, a small balcony/porch on your apartment, or a community park nearby, there are many little things you can do that make a big difference to the wildlife in your area.Provide clean drinking water. You can set up a birdbath for birds that visit your yard, or put out a small bowl of drinking water at ground level. Be sure to change the water on a regular basis to ensure that it stays clean and fresh.Hang bird feeders. Bird feeders are a wonderful resource for birds, especially during the winter when food is scarce. Fill the feeder with a healthy seed mix from your local pet or grocery store.Avoid using harmful lawn chemicals, like fertilizer, pesticides, and herbicides. These chemicals are dangerous to wild animals and also pose a threat to pets and children who play in your yard.
Adopt a pet.
Help stray and feral cats.
Practice trap-neuter-return strategies.
Create a backyard sanctuary.
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