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Shelter Link...

Volunteering to care for the Animals

 Shelter Link is a non-profit, all-volunteer organization created to benefit the animals at the Town of Islip Animal Shelter and surrounding community. Our mission is to see every shelter animal placed in a forever home. Our dedicated volunteers socialize the shelter dogs by walking and exercising them outdoors. Cats are groomed and cuddled indoors. We also provide training sessions to our volunteers as well as people who adopt our dogs using our very own volunteer Certified Obedience Instructors. Shelter Link strives to make life at the shelter as comfortable as possible by providing basics such as flea and tickmedications, beds, blankets, toys, special medications and even paying for surgeries that the shelter would normally not be able to afford.

We are also dedicated to those that are not covered by any other programs. Those cats that have no one to care for them and, in the case of ferals, many consider a nuisance.

We start by promoting the Islip town shelter animals and by maintaining the Petfinder, Facebook, and Adopt-a-pet websites. We photograph the animals and provide informative biographies based on our interaction with them. Then we walk, socialize, and teach the dogs basic skills. Our volunteer certified dog trainers work on some of the harder issues. The goal is to make each one of them more adoptable. We also socialize and groom the cats.

Shelter Link is particularly excited about its Foster Program. Once evaluated, shelter dogs are then matched with the most suitable foster families in our group. We then assist these families in acclimating the fosters to their new environments by providing any medical care, grooming, socializing or training needed. Our interaction continues until forever homes are found. While happily receiving love and attention from his or her volunteer foster family, our former shelter dog is gradually transformed into an integral member of the family, now ready to move on to his forever home. One more life is saved! Our Foster Program enables the transition from shelter to forever home to be a seamless, comfortable, and an enjoyable process.

In addition to our other programs, Shelter Link offers our community residents a low-cost Spay/Neuter Assistance Program with the objective of providing pets with longer, healthier lives and preventing unwanted litters and homelessness. We are committed to continually educating the community about spaying and neutering, ultimately ending the need to euthanize healthy, adoptable animals by reducing the numbers that enter our shelters.

All of our activities are funded by monies raised through grants, corporate and private donations, and Shelter Links various fundraising events, e.g., local Fairs and Festivals, Garage/Yard Sales, Dinner/Dances, Bowl-a-thons, and numerous Adopt-a-thons and Open Houses held at the Shelter throughout the year. Additionally, Shelter Link is active on Petfinders, AdoptAPet, and Facebook  websites and keeps in constant contact with various other animal rescue groups.

 

We host monthly dog training classes for our volunteers, foster parents and other interested people. We cover dog human relationships, understanding body language, general care and nutrition, walking as a pack and basic obedience training. We also teach about leadershipskills, calmness and assertiveness.

 

In order to achieve a meaningful reduction in the surplus pit bull population, we have initiated an innovative free spay/neuter program for both pure-breds and mixes of this breed. Through community outreach programs promoting spay/neuter, as well as educating about humane and responsible pet care, we expect to impact the neediest communities in our township and reduce the overall numbers of pits entering our municipal shelter.

 



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There are so many awesome cats and pooches at the shelter waiting for forever homes. Puggles, Huskies, Rotties, German Shepherds, plenty of mix breeds and of course Pits and Pit mixes.We have all colors and sizes. Come on down and take a look. For more info go to our adoptable pet page or our Petfinder page.

Not ready to adopt why not foster! See the Foster link for more info.