Creating Hope for Homeless Dogs: How Every Act of Kindness Makes a Difference

Overwhelmed. This is how animal lovers feel when they see so many struggling animals. Some people try to help, try to save the ones they come across. But once they start seeing the need, they cannot unsee it, and there are always so many animals in distress. Who could ever help them all?

That is when people start to feel helpless. The idea that they won’t manage to save all of them seeps in; they stop getting involved as much, stop thinking that one simple act of kindness might be just what that animal needs to survive.

And we understand. We’ve been there. ROLDA started off with one person taking strays to her apartment and giving them the life those animals never dreamed about. And things just grew from there when Dana Costin, the founder of the organization, knew that you could not put a cap on kindness and that all dogs deserve it.

But aren’t you happy that we pushed through our overwhelm and managed to save tens of thousands of dogs? We’ve rescued them, fed them, given them clean water and medicine, taken them to the vet, vaccinated them, and gotten them adopted.

It is important to note, however, that one person alone did not manage to do this. Nor did it happen overnight. But tens of thousands of homeless dogs got the help they needed, one simple act of kindness at a time.

It Always Starts with One Person

One person sees the struggling dog and decides to feed it. Another person gives it some water. Someone lets the dog rest in their yard and does not chase it away. While another does the ultimate gesture of actually giving the dog a home, or calls us for help.

Maybe that dog would not have survived without those small and random acts of kindness from all those people. Everybody does whatever it is they feel comfortable doing. And as long as the intention is to help, anything that buys the dog some time before someone can come to its aid still makes a difference.

Every Little Thing That Helps Them Survive

That little biscuit, half of your sandwich, or some water on a scorching hot or freezing cold day could make the difference between death and survival for a poor little dog. Some people feel pressured when the same dog keeps coming back because they fed it once.

You might never know that the morsel of food you just gave them was the only thing they managed to eat for several days. Would that put things in a different perspective? Would you be inclined to help out more?

Kindness Could Mean Taking a Dog Home or Finding It a Home

Some people do this. They take stray animals and give them a home. But we are very much aware that not everyone can do this. Not everyone has the space and the resources. At the other extreme, as much as we appreciate the sentiment, animal hoarding (when someone keeps an excessive number of animals in a small space) is not good for anyone.

So, while we appreciate the people who can just take stray animals home, know that we don’t expect everybody to do this.

If you really want to help, call us, and we will take them in and find the people who can give them the home they deserve.

Other Acts of Kindness to Homeless Dogs

You can help stray dogs in your community by doing a multitude of things. You can be the person who always makes the call and makes sure animals are out of harm’s way. You can donate to help organizations dedicated to rescue, such as ROLDA.

Foster care is just as important to animal rescue organizations. People who take in animals that have just had surgery and need a clean, safe, and quiet place to recover are very important in the rehabilitation process. Moreover, they are among the first people a traumatized animal learns to trust again.

Volunteering at a shelter can give you the chance to do some good and interact with the animals you are helping. And animal shelters are always in need of help. Your contribution will be more than appreciated.

You can help with fundraising campaigns. There are never too many people reaching out and looking for resources for animals in need. Think of the poor dog hit by a car, in desperate need of an operation, and imagine having contributed to covering the cost of the operation. You will have made it possible, just like the vet and the rescue team who got the dog there in time.

Help raise awareness about campaigns. For instance, at ROLDA, we have numerous social campaigns directed at the people in the neighboring communities. Raising awareness could help such a movement gain traction, and maybe more organizations will start to focus on the big picture when it comes to animal rescue – such as preventing abandonment, promoting sterilization, developing social strategies to help at-risk owners keep their pets, and so on.

Become an adoption ambassador. There is always more that can be done to promote dogs in shelters. They are the ones that have been to hell and back. An entire team of people has worked tirelessly to make that dog better. And now, they all wait. What if you are the person who shares that cute dog’s picture until the right person sees it?

The idea is for more and more people to perform more acts of kindness. Not for a few to feel pressured to perform them all. There are millions of dogs on the streets, and it would be unrealistic to expect one person to solve the problem for them all.

Overwhelm and fatigue are justified. We’ve felt them. But then we got back to doing what we know is right and what actually creates positive outcomes. One kind gesture at a time.