Fall River Shelter Sees Lowest Number of Volunteers in 2022, Here’s How to Help

Name a better use of a day than spending it with adorable dogs and cuddly cats. I’ll wait.

Today, First Citizens Federal Credit Union and I got a first-hand look at how Forever Paws Animal Shelter in Fall River operates and how they manage to change the lives of so many animals on the SouthCoast.

While it continues to enrich the lives of so many animals, 2022 brought in the fewest amount of volunteers the shelter has ever had, and for a business that runs on volunteers, fewer volunteers can lead to big problems.

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How Forever Paws Animal Shelter Operates

Forever Paws takes in abused and abandoned pets and finds them new, loving homes. They also work hard to find new homes for pets that can no longer be kept by their owners. The shelter is a non-profit organization and relies solely on donations, fundraisers, adoptions, and dedicated benefactors to keep the shelter going.

“Every animal that is taken into the shelter is given complete veterinary care, is neutered or spayed, evaluated, and given training and behavioral rehabilitation if needed,” said the shelter.

The Problem that Forever Paws Is Facing

The shelter shared that this past year was the lowest year for volunteers the shelter had ever seen and that directly affects the shelter’s operation.

Speaking with the shelter’s director, Arianna Silva, it was clear that volunteering is so much more than walking and petting the animals.

“A lot of it is cleaning,” said Silva. “The longer you volunteer with us, the more you get trained to do, like walk dogs and bathe dogs, and socialize with cats.”

How to Help

Volunteers are the heartbeat of Forever Paws and support from the community is crucial.

Donating to their Amazon Wish List or Chewy Wish List goes a long way, or maybe fostering an animal is the choice for you.

The truth is, there are so many ways to help. Here are just a few ways you can help Forever Paws thrive in 2023.