You may live in an area where there is a neighborhood watch or a group of neighbors who come together to make sure the children in the area are safe. You may even have a group that patrols the downtown area of your town or city on the weekends to make sure people are not harassed or hurt. These are all great ideas to help community police an area and help people get to know their neighbors.
A neighborhood watch can also be started that focuses on the safety of your pets. You can help crack down on abuse, neglect, and cruelty by working with your neighbors.
Here’s a few ways to get started:
1: Get to know the pets in your neighborhood and who owns them. Build a team of fellow pet owners who also want to make sure their pets and their neighbors’ pets are safe. Together you can all keep an eye out for any lost pets, hurt ones, and any suspicious behavior.
2: Hold gatherings once a month or so and talk about any concerns that you may have pertaining to the safety of all the pets in the area.
3: Create a list and ways to report animal cruelty. Not everyone knows who to call if they see an animal in distress. Every state and county is different. Find out who to call, where to report abuse, and what is the closest ER animal hospital for everyone. It’ll help create a “quick list” of references.
4: Contact your local humane organization and animal control and ask them for tips on how to create a successful neighborhood animal watch program. They may even volunteer to come and talk to the group and offer tips, ideas, and ways to promote responsible ownership.
5: Pay attention to your area and if you see any animal cruelty, take action and call your local authorities. If you see wild animals being injured in your area, report the incident. It’s important to find ways to protect all animals from finding better garbage cans or dumpsters with lids that close tightly, to having signs on lawns that are treated with pesticides, and many other things to help keep our pets healthy and safe.