4 Reasons Volunteering At An Animal Shelter Will Change Your Life

Most people would never consider working at an animal shelter of any kind. After all, it does appear to be a very saddening experience. However, this is really only the case if you are on the outside looking in. The reality here is that volunteering at an animal shelter makes a big difference, both for the animals and yourself. Let’s go over 4 reasons volunteering at an animal shelter will change your life.

1. It Is Emotionally Rewarding

One reason why volunteering at an animal shelter will change your life is because it can be extremely rewarding emotionally. Sure, we all like to get in a few extra hours at work so we can make some more money, maybe so we can buy those new pair of shoes we’ve had our eyes on for a couple of months now. However, that is not all there is to life. No, volunteering is not going to put more money in your bank, but rewards do not always have to involve cash.

Volunteering at an animal shelter can be emotionally testing. Yes, you will see abandoned, injured, and ill animals. It can be quite sad to see these animals being left and treated the way they all too often are. However, there is another side to this story. It’s the feeling you get when you get to see a dog, cat, or any other animal in the shelter make a recovery and get adopted by a loving family.

Yes, there are bad times that you must endure, but the feeling of accomplishment, pride, and that fuzzy warm feeling you get when you know that you have done something good is well worth it. Have you ever seen the look on a dog’s face when he or she knows it is being adopted and is going to get a second lease on life? There is really no better feeling to have than knowing that you have just saved a life, or in the case of volunteering at an animal shelter, countless lives.

2. You Will Gain New Perspective On Life & Importance

Right now, your life might be all about going to work, making money, spending time with your friends, and pouring back brews at the local pub. Often, when we are wrapped up in our own world like most people are, we really do not have a good perspective on life. This is especially true when it comes to the problems which our society suffers from. The fact of the matter is that there are a lot more problems beneath the covers than we would like to admit.

It is pretty easy to ignore the woes and downfalls of our society when we stick to our same old routines, day after day. Yeah, ignorance can indeed be bliss, but there is no denying the fact that ignorance is, well, ignorant. Volunteering at an animal shelter can definitely alter your view of society, how our world works, and it will reveal problems to you that you may have never thought about.

If you volunteer at an animal shelter, you will slowly begin to understand the problems which your world or even just the city you live in has. The bottom line is that literally thousands of animals and house pets get abused, misused, and abandoned on a monthly basis, thousands of them. It can be a real eye-opener, and for many people, this is a call to action. Seeing the state of how animals are treated will really change your perspective on what is important in this life, which in our opinion, is the fair treatment of all that breathes.

3. Improved Mental Health

Yet another way in which volunteering at an animal shelter can change your life is by directly improving your health, both physical and mental. Yes, there are way more people out there that suffer from mental health than you might think. In fact, close to 50% of people in this world suffer from some kind of mental health issue, with stress, depression, and anxiety being some of the main ones.

Whether it is due to an event in life, several events, or purely down to brain chemistry, there are various reasons why we as humans may suffer from mental health issues such as depression. For one, you should never be scared or ashamed to admit it if you suffer from something like this.

Things can and will only get better if you acknowledge the problem and do something about it. It is shown that working with animals and volunteering at a shelter, especially if you recognize that you are making a difference in the lives of these animals, can make a big difference when it comes to your own mental health.

It could be because you recognize that you are doing something good in this world. It is also shown that dogs and other animals can be very therapeutic in nature, which is after all why there are therapy dogs and cats out there. The long story short is that working at an animal shelter can directly impact your mental health in a positive way, and this can then lead to improved physical health as well.

4. You Might Just Make A New Friend

Ok, so now you feel happier and you know that you are making a real difference in the lives of these animals. However, there is more to it than that. The fact here is that most people who work at an animal shelter for any given amount of time will usually end up adopting their own dogs and cats from that very same shelter.

This in itself may very well make a big difference in your own life. For one, if you have been thinking of getting a pet, just think about how expensive they are to purchase from a breeder. Well, now that you have worked at an animal shelter, you know that the lives of these animals are very valuable too and that they deserve a second chance. Chances are that you won’t ever buy another animal again after this experience. Rather, you will feel compelled to adopt one yourself, which is, of course, a great thing. Plus, you will get experience with various breeds and learn all about them!

Yes, you might want a pet, maybe for companionship, something to play with, or something you can take for walks to work off some of those winter pounds. However, what you will figure out is that adopting a rescue animal is much more rewarding and beneficial than buying a pet, for everyone and all parties involved. If you volunteer at an animal shelter, the emotions that will come to the forefront will in all likelihood lead you to adopt some animals in need of your own.

Conclusion

There you have it folks. As you can see, there are plenty of reasons why you might want to consider going to work at an animal shelter, and many ways in which this experience can change your life in some really big ways. You will gain a new perspective on life, you will be happier, you’ll be doing something rewarding, and you will probably make some new friends along the way as well.