October is Adopt-a-Shelter-Dog Month, and we want to encourage you to spend some time this month spreading the word and educating your friends and family about the importance of adopting shelter pets.

The ASPCA estimates that approximately 3.3 million dogs enter U.S. animal shelters every year, and many wonderful dogs wait a long time before they find their forever families. This month, we proudly support the ASPCA’s #FindYourFido campaign, which uses social media to feature adopted and adoptable pets. By tagging photos with #FindYourFido, animal lovers will help raise awareness about animals available for adoption in shelters across the country, and share the many benefits of adopting a pet.

If you can’t adopt a pet, consider becoming a pet foster parent or a volunteer at your local shelter. That’s one of the suggestions shared this month by our friends at Petfinder, who have put together a list of 10 things you can do to raise awareness. Petfinder has using social media to raise awareness high on its list, too, along with educating the next generation by talking with them about the importance of adopting from shelters.

Finally, consider a donation this October to THLN. We rely solely upon donations to fund our work, and your contributions help us promote and advocate for humane animal legislation. Many of the laws we have passed directly improve the lives of shelter pets in Texas, like our 2013 legislation to ban gas chamber euthanasia or the most recent 2017 legislation that will strengthen penalties for cases of severe animal cruelty.