The Humane Society of the United States invites everyone to show their appreciation for animal shelters and the dedicated people who work in sheltering during the first week of November each year.

Shelters are safe havens for homeless pets, and of course a great place to adopt your new best friend.  They also play an important role in investigating animal maltreatment, spaying and neutering animals in the community, finding lost pets and returning them to their homes, and educating us on responsible pet ownership.

Here are some key facts about animal shelters in the United States:

• There are around 3,500 animal shelters in the US
• Shelters care for up to 8 million homeless pets each year
• Approximately 50% of shelter animals get adopted
• Only about 20% of US pets are adopted from shelters

Besides pet adoption, here are a few other ways you can show your appreciation for the people who care for homeless pets in your community:

• Volunteer your time caring for animals at a shelter or fostering pets at home.
• Make sure you do your part to reduce the population of homeless animals by spaying and neutering your pets, not letting them roam freely, and microchipping them or putting ID tags on their collars.
• Donate supplies to your local shelter. Many often need towels, toys, food, kitty litter, and other items.  Give them a call and ask them what they need the most!

To learn more about Animal Shelter Appreciation week and find more great ideas about participating, check out this article from petfinder.com.