Instead of wishing you could adopt every animal in a shelter, have you considered volunteering?

There are lot of ways to lend a hand. Maybe you have creative ideas for getting donations. Or, if your thing is social media, you could offer to create content to share with the public.

Cleaning is always appreciated, whether it be mopping down enclosures, or doing laundry. Enrichment is also crucial — that is, finding ways to keep animals busy. Reading to them, offering toys or taking them out for exercise can brighten an animal’s day.

If you’re all in, consider fostering. Even if you can’t sign on for the long haul, you might be able to take an animal home for a couple of days — especially if they need extra care after surgery or illness.

Any of these tasks can make things better for animals in shelters — and for their caretakers too.