I want to help…
Have you always wanted to “help save shelter animals,” but weren’t sure exactly how to do that?
Consider becoming a volunteer with our group of guys and gals who Make Miracles Happen Every Single Day for dogs and cats of the Florida Panhandle! Through our efforts we have enjoyed amazing results in this high-kill region of the country.
Bath time for a shelter dog!
If you enjoy working directly with dogs and cats, we have plenty of ways for you to get hands-on time with the animals we have in our rescue. You can go with us when we visit area shelters, you can offer to help our foster families with their pets and of course, you can foster yourself and/or attend our weekly adoption events. If you are an amateur photographer, good photos are ALWAYS appreciated. If you have grooming experience (or just a willingness to give baths) you can help us get our rescue pets ready for their next event.
Another way you can help is to network the dogs and cats you’ve met which is a HUGE part of the success we’ve enjoyed in finding great homes for our rescued animals.
Visit with the animals in our care to learn about their personalities, take lots of pictures and then share your pictures and comments on our Facebook page and with your friends. You will be amazed at how often the dog or cat you spent time with that day is adopted due SOLELY to a picture you took and/or comments you made about his or her temperament.
But even if you don’t want to work “hands on” with animals there are still plenty of ways you can help us behind the scenes. Just ask…
Volunteering with a rescue group in a high-kill region will change your life. We realize that it may seem like a heartbreaking way to spend your time (and some days it is, we won’t lie), but the vast majority of the time, you will feel amazing at the end of the day, knowing you did indeed safe a life (or two or three)!
Ready to help us Make Miracles Happen? Click the Application tab on the left.
Want to Help Us Make Miracles Happen? Great!
I wish I could save them all…
When people hear that someone works in rescue, they almost always say “I wish I could save them all!”
Yes, so do we. But we’ve actually found a way that you can (sort of) “adopt them all” or at least, a significant number of them!
FOSTERING.
Fostering a shelter animal means that you take a dog or cat into your home and let it live there with you until a permanent home is found. By fostering a shelter dog or cat, you actually save two lives… the animal you get out of the shelter AND the animal who is still there, but now has more time (due to the kennel you freed up) to find his or her own forever family.
Fostering is a great compromise between “adopting them all” and being sad that you CAN’T adopt them all! A foster family can save a dozen dogs or cats in a year – or even more – without the 10-15 year commitment that an adoption requires. But beware – fostering is addictive!!
Is fostering for Saving with Soul right for you? Find out here and get started!
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Interested in fostering a dog or cat?
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT FOSTERING
What animals need foster care?
- Kittens or puppies who are too young to be adopted
- Pregnant and nursing cats and dogs
- Animals awaiting adoption
- Animals awaiting transport
- Animals who are experiencing undue stress in a shelter environment
What are the requirements to be a foster parent?
- Foster parents must be at least 18 years of age
- Foster parents must fill out and sign a foster care application and agreement.
Are there any expenses incurred by foster parents? Yes. Fostering is not free, although we try to make it as affordable for our foster families as possible. We will provide food if needed, flea prevention, linens and other supplies. Just ask!
Why should I become a foster parent? Foster families have one of the most important jobs in rescue. Foster families allow our animals to receive the proper care and attention they deserve as they wait for adoption. As a foster parent you’ll not only save the lives of animals in your care, but you’ll give other animals coming into the shelters a space on their adoption floors to find their own loving homes.
What if I fall in love with my foster? It happens! And it’s called a “foster failure” when a foster family decides to keep their foster dog or cat permanently. However, if you are concerned that you won’t want to let your foster go when we’ve found a forever home for them, just know that it gets easier, especially after you 1) see the joy your foster brings to his or her new family, and 2) realize that now you can save another! But even if it does break your heart every time a foster leaves your home, isn’t it worth a few tears to save a life?
A foster dog and a resident dog grab a quick nap together.
Let’s Go for a Ride!
Blackie on the first leg of his Ride to Freedom!
So, do you have a road trip planned in your future? Or do you just love to drive?
We have a huge need for volunteers to help us transport adopted and rescued dogs and cats from Here to There (wherever that “there” happens to be). Most of our transporting needs are local – that is – from, say, Crestview to Fort Walton Beach, but from time to time we need help getting our animals a bit farther away to or toward Jacksonville, Orlando or Tampa.
We always need help on Saturdays transporting animals and supplies to and from our adoption events.
If you think transporting might be something you can help with, let us know. Funds for gas may be available if needed.
Refer your family/friends…
We are ALWAYS looking for a few good men and women to help us save the unwanted shelter animals of the Florida Panhandle! Do you know someone who loves animals and has a little time to spare to come play with us? Or perhaps a little room in their home for a furry foster friend? Or someone who loves to drive and would enjoy having a four-legged co-pilot?
When you talk about what YOU’RE doing to make a difference in the lives of shelter animals, people will be inspired and want to join the fun. Please send them our way and we’ll fill them in on all the opportunities available within Saving with Soul!
Miracles do happen…
Just before Christmas in 2017, Saving with Soul rescued a sweet pit bull with a terrible case of mange from a local shelter. This boy had two big strikes against him – first, he was in a shelter that does not allow bully breeds to be adopted and second, his mange made him less appealing to rescues. But one of our fosters saw through the mange and insisted we save him… so we did.
We named him Miracle. And when we posted pictures of our sweet boy, donations came pouring in to help us with his care.
Sadly, Miracle passed away overnight on New Year’s Eve. We don’t know what happened; he just did not wake up in the morning. It broke our hearts but we were comforted to know that he did not die in a shelter. And thanks to the Miracle Fund, he did not die in vain.
With the money that was donated toward Miracle’s care, Saving with Soul established The Miracle Fund, created specifically to help dogs with special medical needs, especially skin issues like mange.
So, even though Miracle’s life was cut short, his legacy lives on in The Miracle Fund!
