5 ways to become a No Kill advocate

So, you want to be a No Kill advocate, but don’t know where to start? You have come to the right place! At American Pets Alive! (AmPA!) we know that everyone can be a No Kill hero. Here are 5, of the countless ways, you can help put a stop to animal shelter related deaths:

1. Learn about the No Kill movement

With so much information available, it’s confusing to know where to start to learn about animal welfare. Even more confusing is knowing which of the available resources will help you to achieve your lifesaving goals. At American Pets Alive! our focus is ALWAYS on how to save more lives, faster, so you can leave the guessing out.

Here are some easy ways to access the most up to date news, resources and learning opportunities about national animal sheltering best practices:

• Sign up for our Newsletter
• Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

 
 2. Volunteer for AmPA! or your local animal shelter

The No Kill movement runs on volunteers and fosters. Shelters need boots on the ground help with everything from feeding cats, to running adoption events, to providing dogs much-needed breaks from the stress of the shelter. The experience of volunteering or fostering will also give you important insight into your local shelter operations and a seat at the table regarding local sheltering policies and procedures.

AmPA! needs volunteers, too, from conference volunteers to tech support, to help with marketing,we can use your help! Head to our Get Involved page to learn about how you can volunteer with American Pets Alive! Save animal lives by signing up to volunteer and spread the word at work, on social media, and amongst your friends.

3. Create groundswell with local political advocacy

No Kill animal shelter policies, ordinances, and community partnerships are vital to creating an animal sheltering system that allows dogs and cats a chance at life. Help the pets in your community by being a part of local animal shelter politics. Encourage people to join you in your efforts to end shelter pet deaths through political advocacy and community organizing.

Some ideas for local political advocacy include:

• Helping your community adopt a No Kill resolution, like in Austin
• Attending animal advisory committee meetings in your city or county
• Bringing attention to local politicians who have an interest in animal welfare
• Connecting available community resources, like food banks, homeless shelters, and domestic violence organizations to the pet owners in your community to keep pets from entering the animal shelter

By subscribing to our newsletter, you will have one more resource for staying informed on policies that may affect pets and the people who love them.

4. Know your community’s animal shelter data

Data is not just for animal shelters staff and employees, it’s an important tool for advocates, too. Know your community’s data and use this information to back-up your advocacy work and inform your community about the facts.

Some of the many important reasons why advocates should collect and analyze shelter data include:

• Data analysis is the only way to truly know which types/groups of animals are dying in a shelter
• Data comparison will show you where your organization compares to national best practices
• Animal shelter data helps advocates to shine a light on the invisible deaths of animals in shelters

To learn more about how American Pets Alive! uses data to save lives, watch this presentation by our Executive Director, Dr. Ellen Jefferson on the 12 Lifesaving Ingredients. 

5. Ask AmPA! at [email protected]

We are continuously updating our resources, social media and blog to make sure that you have all the tools you need to be a part of the No Kill movement. If you don’t see the tools you need or have a specific question you want an answer to, reach out to us at [email protected]. We make sure to answer each and every question we are asked to help you on your No Kill journey.

 Remember to Set Goals

Whether you decide to help walk dogs at your local shelter, shine a light on your local animal shelter policies, or work with your local government to build No Kill groundswell, set goals! Focus on accomplishing these goals and reach out to us when you need help. Lastly, the American Pets Alive! Conference is the best place to learn how to propel your lifesaving goals into motion. Join the hundreds of other advocates and No Kill leaders who attend the conference each year.

Together, we will put an end to the needless killing in animal shelters and your advocacy is a part of this movement! Thank you for caring about the animals.