Animals need care and love just as humans. There are however some people who love to keep pets at home but do not care for them and when they find them inactive, they just abandon them. Animal shelters have been created by those people who care for these homeless animals.

Fact 1 What Are Animal Shelters
Animal Shelters as the words convey are facilities or temporary homes for stray or abandoned animals. These shelters provide homes to the innocent homeless animals mostly dogs and cats. All shelters are not the same and do not offer all kinds of facilities to take care of these animals completely. Some those are funded by the government or get handsome donations from caring people care for them in every way they can and after they are fit and fine, arrange for adoption camps so that they find permanent homes for themselves.

Fact 2 Kinds Of Animal Shelters
There are 3 categories of animal shelters namely the animal control shelters run by governments and municipalities, non-profit, private shelters that are presided over by a board of directors and those non-profit organizations that work with the government according to their contract. Most of the municipal or government aided shelters receive funds from the governments but according to those who run such organizations are of the opinion that the funds are not enough to carry out the job allotted to them properly and require donations. The non-profit private organizations depend totally on grants and donations offered by interested and good-hearted individuals as well as companies. Some organizations lend out their helping hands by donating dog foods and cat foods, medicines and other things required to take care of the animals properly.

Fact 3 What Kind Of Care Is Provided At The Shelters
All animal shelters are not of the same standard and it all depends on the area and also the kind of aid that the organizations that run the shelter receive from the governments and other sources. The best shelters have a routine way of taking care of the animals living in the shelters like:
• The dogs are taken for walks.
• Good nutritious food is provided.
• Regular medical check-ups are done by visiting doctors who agree to do so voluntarily or in case of health issues, they are taken to veterinary hospitals and doctors for treatment.
• The care-taker cleans them and give them a bath regularly and even plays with the tiny puppies.
• Neutering is done for the adults and de-worming is done according to set routines.
• Adoption camps are organized in order to find permanent homes for these homeless dogs and cats.

Fact 4 Rescue Groups
Animal lovers also join rescue groups who take care of left-alone dogs or unwanted pets and keep them in foster homes till they find homes for them. When these animals are in the foster homes, they can be trained better and their behavior also can be judged properly.

Fact 5 Psychological Support Offered At The Animal Shelters
Although the treatment towards these stray dogs is not the same in all the shelters, there are some shelters where there are volunteers who help them and reassure them especially when they are sick or handicapped. They receive love and care and sometimes it so happens that they do not want to leave the shelters. The young people who join such NGOs willingly, utilize every moment of their spare time giving them psychological and emotional support.
If you have a heart to reduce at least some of the miseries of the abandoned and stray cats and dogs, join hands with the NGOs and work for them to raise funds, offer your help in taking them to the doctor or rescue animals that you might come across.