Our future animal rescuers are currently students with a love for animals and an appreciation for working to help them. There are various ways that kids and young adults are able to help raise money and support animal rescues. It’s up to animal rescues to reach out and provide the opportunities for youth groups to take on and help support animals.

Many scouting groups require the kids to work on badges in different themes, from woodworking and archery, to personal finance and pet care. As a part of the merit badge system, some scout groups are asked to help a local civic group or charity by doing community service projects.

• Host a donation drive for necessary items for pets. This would include old blankets, bathroom rugs, towels, food, cleaning supplies, office supplies and toys.
• Arrange for in-kind donations from businesses for an upcoming fundraiser.
• Build rabbit hutches, cat condos or other wood structures to help house animals at the shelter or through a TNR program.
• Bake and sell pet treats.
• Host mini-fundraisers at the animal rescue’s main fundraiser, such as a face painting booth at a dog walk, or selling homemade dog treats at an adoption event.
• Research animal welfare laws (or another animal related topic) and present findings at local city council meeting.
• Assist with the preparations for a slideshow at annual fundraising event.
• Write letters to the Editor of local newspaper.
• Work on the website for an animal rescue, including posting pictures of animals and bios on Petfinder.
• Assisting wildlife and the environment by helping build bat houses, TNR colony homes, and learning about the community of animals from your animal rescue.
• There are specific horse merit badges that horse rescuers could help with, teaching proper care and health requirements, and getting some hands on assistance from the kids.

For any volunteers that are not already a part of your group, be sure to have a waiver of liability signed for each scout or student who will be participating in your fundraising events. If the youth members are doing things on their own time, then no waiver is required.

Some merit badges that blend well with raising money for animals or helping with the animal rescue would be the Animal Science Merit Badge, Entrepreneurship Merit Badge, Salesmanship Merit Badge, Pet Merit Badge, Citizenship in the Community Merit Badge, Dog Care Merit Badge, Mammal Merit Badge, Communications Merit Badge, Computers Merit Badge, Horsemanship Merit Badge, and Journalism Merit Badge. There are many others that could also benefit animal rescue groups through service, education and volunteerism.

Contact your local scout groups to see what projects you can work together to benefit the scouts as well as your animal rescue.