by Boris Dzhingarov

California is a big state with millions of residents, which also means that there are a lot of pets. Unfortunately, some residents are unable or unwilling to take care of their dogs and they become strays. If adequate provisions are not taken, these strays end up reproducing quickly and become a growing public nuisance. In addition to disrupting the balance in residential areas, there can be a large number of puppies in need. These innocent animals can be abandoned and left to fend on their own if their mothers become deceased, injured, or lost. One solution that California has taken is to neuter and spay all stray dogs that are picked up by animal control. But what about the animals – namely young puppies – who need to be nurtured and eventually adopted?

Volunteering to Help

Animal shelters in California are always in need of more caring, helping hands. You don’t need to have any type of expertise to be a volunteer. If you can clean and you love being around cats and dogs, you can help to keep your local animal shelter clean and safe for residents and visitors. After the wildfires that have devastated California, there are many more animals that need to be cared for and tended to than usual. It could be as little as one afternoon every other weekend where you pledge to go to a shelter and help the staff take care of the precious animals who call that place their home. It might seem like a drop in the bucket of the stray dog dilemma in California, but even the smallest effort counts.

Donating to a Good Cause

When volunteering is either not an option or just plain impractical, there’s another tactic that can be used. Donate anything and everything you can to help puppies and dogs living on the streets, being housed in shelters, or going through the adoption process. They need food and they need financial support. You can give up a few dollars out of your paycheck or make one sizable contribution every year and your generosity will be appreciated either way.

Saving Needy Puppies

They’re so cute that you can’t resist picking them up, loving them, and spoiling them rotten. Puppies of all sizes and breeds can be found in animal shelters all over the state of California. In fact, it is estimated that there are nearly 30,000 stray dogs in pounds in the Los Angeles area alone. So, while you might be able to adopt a puppy or two if you have the space and time, there will still be thousands left who need the same type of loving environment. There’s also the option of fostering a dog until a suitable home can be found.

If the sight of cute and cuddly puppies makes you feel good, then you have to give back. Give to help a dog who needs a home, a place to call his or her own for good. Alternatively, you may make regular donations to shelters that make it their mission to help solve California’s stray dog problem.