PROJECT IDEAS & INSTRUCTIONS

Your project can be anything from promoting adoptable pets, making toys, organizing a towel drive to doing a fundraiser or buying supplies from a shelter/rescue wish list. Big or small everything helps and makes a positive difference for animals and shelters/rescues. 

 
Earn community service hours for school and if you are a scout -pursue a badge or award!

Digital Adoption Business Cards

Use your digital skills to put a “Spotlight” on a shelter pet and help them find their forever family.  By creating a custom “Business Card” for an animal, you are giving them a dedicated stage. A great photo paired with a fun “job title” (like Professional Napper) can be the exact thing that catches an adopter’s eye and leads to a perfect match!

Pizza For Pets Fundraiser

Everyone loves pizza and pets so why not raise money and awareness for your local animal shelter or rescue? You can do a Pizza sale with friends or with classmates after school!

Kids doing a Pizza for Pets fundraiser for animal shelter
School bulletin board of adoptable pets at animal shelter

Promoting Shelter/Rescue Adoptions Bulletin Board

Promote adoptable pets at your local Animal Shelter/Rescue. It’s a great way for your entire school to see animals available for adoption. It’s fun to see animals get adopted and easy to manage.

Host A Walk-A Thon

Organizing a Walk-A-Thon (or Bike-A-Thon), is a wonderful way to include your friends, family and community for a great cause.  You can plan and hold a Walk-A-Thon pretty much anywhere and the sky is the limit in raising much needed funds for your local shelter/rescue.

Walkathon project to help animal shelters
pastries for pets bake sale fundraiser for animal shelter

Hold a Bake Sale (“Pastries for Pets”)

This is a fun way to raise money and awareness for your local animal shelter or rescue.  You can do a bake sale by yourself, with friends or with classmates after school!

Rope Toys for Dogs

Animal shelters and rescues appreciate rope toys – especially for larger dogs. A friendly game of tug of war is fun and stimulating for dogs and provides an easy way to socialize and play. And, they are fun to make!

dog with rope toy
No sew pet blanket project for animal shelter

No Sew Blankets

Animal shelters and rescues love fleece blankets for the pets in their care. Blankets are used for kittens to keep them warm and are a comfort to dogs and rabbits too.

Adoption Posters

Let’s make Adoption Posters to promote adoptable pets at your local Animal shelter/rescue. Shelters and rescues love to share adoption posters on their social media. Consider displaying the posters on a hallway bulletin board at your school or at your local library too!

Girl scouts showing off their silver award TNR trap covers project to help feral cats

Sew TNR Trap Covers

Make TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return), trap covers and donate them to your local shelter/rescue. Thank you to  Eliana and Soleil of Girl Scout Troop 31241 for this terrific project! Designed to be simple, practical and customizable to suit different trap sizes.  By participating you become part of a growing community of individuals determined to make a positive impact on the lives of feral cats. With your help, we can ensure that these vulnerable creatures have a safe, warm, and stress-free experience during their TNR journey.

Dog Crinkle Socks

These are fun and easy to make.  Thank you to Valley Humane Society in Pleasanton, CA for this great DIY idea!

Homemade dog toys
DIY Snuffle Mats for shelter pets

Make a Snuffle Mat

Dogs and cats love this DIY puzzle feeder.  Snuffle mats provide much-needed mental and physical stimulation. These entertaining puzzle feeder toys encourage our furry best friends to use their most natural training tool — their nose!

Snuffle mats are easy to make at home. This project can take a few hours, but it’s fun!

Hold A Towel & Blanket Drive

Animal Shelters & Rescues almost always need towels and blankets.  Consider donating your old/gently used towels and blankets to your local shelter or rescue.  They are used for bedding and grooming in most shelters & rescues.

kittens in towels promoting towel drive animal shelter project

Need more inspiration?

Students, scouts and everyday people have done a lot of inspiring projects, go see what they have done.