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The Unsheltered Project

@theunshelteredproject

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On a mission to rethink how we build animal shelters to be happy places. Tearing down the dog pound mentality. Theunshelteredproject.substack.com 🐾

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Animal shelters should be places of safety, compassion, and second chances. But too often, the system is failing the very animals it was created to protect.

**It’s time to rethink sheltering.**

Through The Unsheltered Project, I’m sharing real stories, exploring better solutions, and challenging all of us to take action.

Because animals deserve more than shelter. They deserve a better future.

Join the conversation. Be part of the change.

🐾 theunshelteredproject.substack.com
🌐 theunshelteredproject.org

#ShelterDogsofinstagram #HumaneSheltering #AnimalRescue #DogsDeserveBetter #ReformAnimalShelters by @theunshelteredproject

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a day ago

Your local animal shelter is a government service. So why is animal welfare so often at the bottom of the municipal priority list?

Schools, roads, parks and public safety all compete for funding, while animal services are too often expected to do more with less. The result? Understaffed shelters, inadequate veterinary care, overcrowding and animals spending far too long in kennels.

Animals don’t vote. But we do.

My latest article looks at why animal welfare gets overlooked by local government and, more importantly, what citizens can do about it.

Read more:
theunshelteredproject.substack.com

Learn more about our work:
theunshelteredproject.org

#AnimalWelfare #ShelterReform #AnimalAdvocacy #AnimalShelters #SheltersShouldBeTheLastResort by @theunshelteredproject

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4 days ago

There are things I wish I didn’t know about animal shelters.

Dogs deteriorating after months in kennels. Medical needs going unaddressed. Wonderful dogs labeled unadoptable. Animals running out of time simply because they’ve been there too long.

Volunteering at a municipal shelter has changed the way I see animal welfare forever.

I still believe in the people who care for these animals. But I also believe we need to challenge a system that too often fails them.

My latest Substack is personal, difficult, and ultimately about why we need change.

**Read: Things I Cannot Unsee After Volunteering at an Animal Shelter**

theunshelteredproject.substack.com

theunshelteredproject.org

#ShelterDogs #AnimalShelters #RescueDogs #HumaneSheltering #DogsDeserveBetter by @theunshelteredproject

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5 days ago

Animal shelters are supposed to be places of safety and compassion. But what happens when the very system designed to protect animals fails them?
Medical neglect. Inadequate care. Outdated practices. Lack of accountability.
It’s happening in municipal shelters across the country. And it’s time we demand better.
Animals deserve more than shelter. They deserve humane care.
Join us in advocating for change.
theunshelteredproject.org
theunshelteredproject.substack.com

#AnimalWelfare #AnimalAdvocacy #Rescuedogsofinstagram #DogsDeserveBetter #AnimalRescue by @theunshelteredproject

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6 days ago

Some people spend thousands buying designer dogs. I’m spending thousands getting pit bulls out of a shelter, into board and train, and into rescue.

Then I still have to convince someone to choose them.

These are dogs I know and believe in. The irony of what we’ll pay to buy a dog, compared with what it takes to save one, has been weighing on me.

I wrote about it in my latest article.

Read it: theunshelteredproject.substack.com
Support our work: theunshelteredproject.org

#AnimalRescue #ShelterDogs #PitBullAdvocacy #AdoptDontShop #rescuedogs by @theunshelteredproject

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6 days ago

We can’t solve pet overpopulation and shelter overcrowding without veterinarians.

Veterinary costs are soaring. Affordable spay/neuter is increasingly difficult to find. And some shelters, including my own municipal shelter, can’t find veterinarians willing to provide even one day a week of care for homeless animals.

Veterinarians are essential to animal welfare. We need them to step up and be part of the solution.

Read my latest post on The Unsheltered Project.

theunshelteredproject.substack.com

#AnimalWelfare #ShelterReform #VeterinaryMedicine #SpayNeuter #PetOverpopulation by @theunshelteredproject

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11 days ago

52 Acts for Animals starts with showing up. This week’s challenge: visit your local animal shelter to see what goes on there.

Check visiting hours and ask whether a tour is available. Meet the animals, notice their surroundings and talk with staff or volunteers when they have time. Ask what a typical day looks like for the dogs and cats. What opportunities do they have for exercise, enrichment and human connection?

Go with curiosity and respect. Understanding how your shelter works is a first step toward helping improve it. If you can’t visit, call and ask those same questions.

Come back and tell us: What surprised you? What is working well? What would you like to see change?

Join the challenge at theunshelteredproject.substack.com.

#52ActsForAnimals #AnimalShelterReform #AnimalWelfare #ShelterAnimals #TheUnshelteredProject by @theunshelteredproject

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12 days ago

by @theunshelteredproject

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13 days ago

Surrendering a pet isn’t simply a change of address. For an animal who has known a home, a family and a routine, suddenly finding themselves alone in a loud, unfamiliar shelter can be terrifying.

Confusion. Fear. Stress. Anxiety. Behavioral changes. A dog or cat who seemed perfectly happy at home may become an entirely different animal in a kennel.

Before surrendering a pet, exhaust every other option. Ask for help. Find temporary support. Work through behavior issues. Seek out low-cost resources. Rehome responsibly if you truly cannot keep them.

They are family. And surrender should always be the last resort.

Read my full article, “Your Pet Is Family. Stop Treating Them Like They’re Disposable,” on The Unsheltered Project Substack.

#SheltersShouldBeTheLastResort #AnimalWelfare #ShelterReform #PetSurrender #ResponsiblePetOwnership by @theunshelteredproject

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13 days ago

by @theunshelteredproject

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14 days ago

You care about animals. You want things to change. But knowing where to start can feel overwhelming.

Coming soon from The Unsheltered Project: 52 Acts for Animals. Each week, I’ll share one simple action you can take to help animals and push for a more humane shelter system. Together, we’ll put good ideas into practice, share what happens and learn as we go.

52 weeks. 52 actions. A better future for animals.

Are you in? Follow along and subscribe at [theunshelteredproject.substack.com](https://theunshelteredproject.substack.com).

#52ActsForAnimals #AnimalShelterReform #AnimalWelfare #AnimalAdvocacy #TheUnshelteredProject by @theunshelteredproject

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15 days ago

We cannot keep dropping every animal welfare problem at the shelter’s door and asking why the shelter isn’t doing more.

Pet owners must take responsibility. Veterinarians must help make care accessible. Legislators must fund programs that prevent suffering, rather than simply paying to house it. Businesses, rescues and neighbors all have a role.

My latest article looks at what shared responsibility should actually mean. Read it, share it and choose one action you can take this week. Shelters should be the last resort. Making that possible takes all of us.

Read the article: https://theunshelteredproject.substack.com/
Learn about our work: https://theunshelteredproject.org/

#AnimalWelfare #ShelterReform #ResponsiblePetOwnership #CommunityAction #SheltersShouldBeTheLastResort by @theunshelteredproject

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15 days ago