As the year draws to a close and finals become not only the problem but the solution to passing classes, some students just can’t handle the stress.
Luckily, the solution is out there.
In the event that everyone makes it through finals, there’s a happy stress relieving friend that’s excited to see you.
Dogs. Cats. Birds.
And they’re all here in the Fargo-Moorhead area.
Now as good as seeing a friendly pupper can be, students can get more out of animal therapy by volunteering at one of the local animal shelters.
Not only will students receive the love from the animals that they love, but they can help the animals find new homes or live a happy life in their shelter for the time being.
Some of the shelters in the F-M area include Homeward Animal Shelter, Diamond in the Ruff, Center for Avian Adoption, Rescue and Education (C.A.A.R.E.), Cats Cradle and 4 Luv of Dog.
While all of them provide animals with a safe place to stay until they find a forever home, each is unique in one way or another.
Homeward Animal Shelter has been around for over 50 years and works with cats and dogs with adoption fees under $200 for either. According to their website, they’ve placed over 30,000 animal within their career as a shelter.
Homeward Animal Shelter is located on 28th Ave. N and accepts volunteer applications, which might be a fun summer job if students what to hang out with dogs and/or cats this summer.
Diamond in the Ruff rescue opens their doors to dogs, cats and rabbits, although currently there are no rabbits available for adoption.
The newer rescue focuses on animal abandonment and the prevention of breed discrimination. According to their website, they also work to place animals in foster homes prior to finding them a forever home.
Cats Cradle is a shelter that exclusively helps cats. It also offers services for people who need to re-home their cat for whatever reason. In their mission statement it reads, “Our mission is to create a more humane and compassionate world one cat at a time.”
The no-kill shelter houses their cats in colonies of six to 10 cats and advocates for people to volunteer at the shelter, located on 9th St. S., or foster their cats.
4 Luv of Dog Rescue not only supports other animal adoption agencies, but also provides people who visit their website with a list of boarding facilities, groomers, training options, pet sitting options and pet supply facilities.
They also host events, such as the Mutt March that will take place May 5. They also accept volunteers.
C.A.A.R.E., the rescue facility for birds, teaches the F-M community how to care for parrots and other exotic birds and hopes to find forever homes for the birds currently housed in their shelter. They are also open to volunteers.
While students may not want to volunteer their time on a regular schedule, they can consider adoption or donating products the shelters need such as soap, food for the animals and bedding products. Depending on the shelter, this information can be found on their individual websites.