The Humane Society of the United State is a good resource for finding models to follow and understanding the standards you must meet. Learn about the day-to-day activities of a pet shelter owner, the typical target market, growth potential, startup costs, legal considerations, and more! Many dogs and cats that are turned in to rescue groups need spay and neuter services, basic vaccinations, and medication. and I'd like to know what I have to do to open up an animal shelter in East TN? Sadly, less than half of these animals in need ever find a home—but shelters still need funding to support them. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. How to start an animal shelter? Shelter. Volunteering at animal shelters and fostering rescues are two great ways to begin connecting with the right people and learning the right skills. The cost for the licensing fee will depend on how many animals you plan to shelter at one time and can range from a $100 licensing fee for 20 or fewer pets … Experience, Training, & Veterinary Assistance, How to Start a Therapeutic Riding Program, Starting a Nonprofit Animal Organization Guide, Pets Need Clothes Too! If you’re thinking of starting an animal shelter, start by learning about shelters already in your community, so you can figure out how to provide something new or different. Approved. This article contains a few secrets that can make your business profitable, stable and built to last. This can then make it easier to arrange vet visits to the shelter. After that, look for financing through banks, government grants, and online fundraising campaigns. This will determine how large a piece of land you will need, and what you will require for housing the animals. Do you want to start an animal shelter business and you want to know the cost? References Nonprofit animal organizations have become increasingly popular in recent years, providing a wide array of services and advocacy programs that ensure animal welfare. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 21,712 times. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. A membership program can raise regular funds from animal lovers in the community. Starting an animal rescue is a dream for many people who love pets and want to make a difference. Starting an animal rescue or shelter requires proper planning, facility preparation, and dedicated fundraising efforts. Even though most animal rescues are nonprofits, you’ll still need to cover expenses. Though the animal shelter is made for the wellbeing of animals, it is also a business. Come up with a good name and logo for your rescue and start promoting it through a website, social media, and networks of other animal rescue organizations. For the most part, the running of an animal care facility falls under the jurisdiction of the local government. Take some time to familiarize yourself with the current dialogue surrounding animal care and rescue. A battered women's shelter offers a safe place of refuge for women and children seeking to leave an abusive home. Some oversee a network of foster homes for animals in need of permanent homes, while others maintain an actual physical shelter, or some combination of both approaches. An indoor shelter in an existing structure, which is a cheaper option but could be harder to keep clean and maintain. Petfinder: Starting a Non-Profit to Help Animals. Many shelter managers have the heart but don’t have the business sense to move animals out the door quickly, he said. It's also important to understand what sort of animal rescue organization you intend to establish. Building an animal shelter takes extensive planning and fundraising. Be sure to send acknowledgments for donations. Providing shelter for the animals means you need land and buildings. Building a successful animal rescue requires patience, people and animal skills, and a genuine passion for animal advocacy. Though you may have a strong desire to care for homeless or neglected animals, opening an animal shelter can be a major endeavor. You may also want to repurpose an existing area in your home, like a garage or a shed, to serve as a shelter. Establishing a good relationship with a local veterinarian also is critical. All release and adoption forms also should be filed. Tired of feeling trapped by your finances? You should also start conversations with your followers by responding to comments on Facebook and Instagram. Animal care supplies: This should include the costs for routine vet treatment, neutering services, microchipping, and animal toys. Shelter supplies: This should include any equipment needed to make the shelter functional for animals, food for the animals, cleaning materials, and waste disposal. The first step is determining what type of animals you want to rescue, and how many animals you can adequately provide care for at your facility or within your network. Newspaper stands may donate unsold papers. Accurate records must be kept at all times. If you’re located in a rural or semirural area, you can also start a barn cat program to place feral cats. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. There would be a spay and neuter center for all animals coming to the shelter. Many people contemplate starting homeless pet shelters because they care about animals and … Your support helps wikiHow to create more in-depth illustrated articles and videos and to share our trusted brand of instructional content with millions of people all over the world. You may also want to tweet to local animal-related businesses to show them you are engaged on social media. From a practical standpoint, volunteering for a nonprofit organization is a great addition to your resume. This is not a full-blown animal shelter but it could be a good way to gain more experience in taking care of animals on your own. It may be important to you to also identify any psychological or emotional issues in the animals and work on ways to address this. If you are more aware of the needs of cats and dogs, for example, you may decide not to take in birds and rabbits at your shelter as well. Pets Alive Blog. In some states, animal shelters are permitted to have up to 80 pets at a time. You can house cats and dogs in the same shelter, but you may need to create separate areas for different animal types and establish different areas for male and female animals. You can also organize a fundraising event with other animal shelters in the area or other animal related businesses. The coverage will protect you in the event that someone is bitten or injured by an animal or is otherwise injured on the premises. You also will need to set up a dedicated phone line and post office box to facilitate adoption efforts. Since animal care is a 24-hours-per-day, seven-days-per-week responsibility, you likely will need to enlist the help of volunteers, full-time employees, or both. Here are some tips on how to go about starting a nonprofit animal organization. Table of Contents Coming together for the animals 1.) Donations should be carefully recorded for tax purposes. Write your mission statement 3.) Covered in Pet Fur covers the essentials of how to start and operate a viable animal rescue organization. By using our site, you agree to our. % of people told us that this article helped them. The local rescue we decided to donate to was Priceless Pet Rescue. This will also ensure that you are not competing with other animal shelters in your area and give your animal shelter a clear focus. Outdoor pens in a volunteer or community garden, which is a cheap and community-oriented option. And remember, you don’t need to start a huge shelter. Small to medium-sized no-kill animal shelters take in fewer animals than large animal shelters because they do not receive so many dogs and cats. There are an estimated 3,500 animal shelters in the United States alone, taking in more than 6 million dogs and cats each year combined. A shed or outdoor shelter, which is another cheap option but could be more difficult to keep sanitary and stress free for the animals. Knitting or crafting blankets that can be donated, will help provide many animals with a warm, comfortable place to sleep. Pet food companies may provide discounted or free bags of food. Last Updated: September 28, 2020 Animal shelters take in stray animals and abandoned pets and give them a place to stay, food to eat and proper veterinarian care. A website and email newsletter should be available to your members to demonstrate what is being accomplished with their support. As a nonprofit organization, you might be able to connect with an attorney in your community who also is an animal lover and willing to help with such forms. There are several ways to go about organizing a dog walk or a dog run. How to Start an Animal Shelter To create and run a successful shelter requires research, planning, fundraising, facilities, and a network of supportive professionals and staff or volunteers. 5. For tips on how to choose a location and hire workers to get your shelter up and running, read on! Basic Animal Rescue Training If this sounds a little overwhelming, don’t be afraid to start slow and small. You may also need to cover heating, water, and electricity expenses. Even if you have extensive experience working with animals, it is wise to take the time to volunteer at local shelters or rescues to learn how they operate prior to starting your own animal rescue. Here's your escape plan. Do research and preliminary planning 2.) wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. Form a Team of Go-Getters. Land and zoning You can start any type of shelter you wish. Some animal rescues focus on common household pets like dogs or cats, and others specialize in rescuing other animals, such as horses or more exotic pets. You should also consider your level of expertise and comfort with certain animals. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Adopt a Pet This will prevent unplanned pregnancies at the shelter. Since 2018 my company, Fire Hydrant Pet Sitting Co., LLC has been hosting annual drives in February for a local animal shelter. You should also learn a bit about nonprofit management … https://www.good.is/articles/how-to-start-a-pet-rescue-organization, http://www.hsi.org/assets/pdfs/eng_starting_a_shelter.pdf, http://www.agr.georgia.gov/animal-protection-faqs.aspx, https://www.petfinder.com/animal-shelters-and-rescues/starting-a-pet-adoption-organization/start-animal-shelter/, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Fur Kids located in Georgia, 4 Luv of Dog Rescue in North Dakota and Homeward Animal Shelter in North Dakota gave us an amazing insight to the work and dedication it takes to run a shelter. Then, put together a budget that includes things like rent, food for the animals, and veterinary care services. A newly built animal shelter, which will be expensive and have high start-up costs, but may be easier to maintain than an existing structure. Start a Knitting or Craft Group & Donate Blankets. Since your success will rely heavily fundraising, volunteers, and the rescue’s notoriety in the community, it’s important that your team possess strong fundraising and … Why Start a No-kill Animal Shelter Business? A veterinarian, a lawyer and a teacher are also great allies, as are professionals in media, advertising and public relations. You can mobilize your own staff or volunteers from your local community and have them walk the local dogs in exchange for donations. What is involved as far a legalities, gov. Every day at wikiHow, we work hard to give you access to instructions and information that will help you live a better life, whether it's keeping you safer, healthier, or improving your well-being. The number of animals you take in could be based on how much space you may have in the shelter location and how many animals you can take care of on your own or with a few volunteers. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/6\/6a\/Start-an-Animal-Shelter-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Start-an-Animal-Shelter-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/6\/6a\/Start-an-Animal-Shelter-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/aid939935-v4-728px-Start-an-Animal-Shelter-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"