Best Animal Rescues Around West Chester: Adopt, Donate, Or Volunteer

WEST CHESTER, PA — Spring brings National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day, but when that has come and gone, many pets remain, waiting for homes in West Chester and around Chester County.

Those adorable puppy and kitty eyes may seem unfairly enticing, but pets are great companions. It's been shown and reported that pets can increase wellness and enhance mental health.

If you just love animals but you're not in a situation to adopt right now, you might consider volunteering at a local shelter. Help is usually needed with exercising dogs, cleaning, feeding pets, and helping to raise funds. Donating is also a way you can get pets into homes; your donation may keep costs of local veterinary care low so more people can afford to adopt pets.

Great Animal Shelters Around West Chester

Brandywine Valley SPCA has placed more than 4,700 animals in homes this year as it aims for 16,000. Under the umbrella of Brandwine Valley SPCA are eight facilities, including a shelter in West Chester on Phoenixville Pike and an animal health center in Malvern.

• View adoptable dogs in West Chester and find the live Kitty Cam here.
• Donate or volunteer for BVSPCA. They need help from the community.
• Events for fundraising or adoption are a good way to help out. See upcoming community events.

LaMancha Animal Rescue is a no-kill shelter on 45 acres near Unionville in Chester County that rescues dogs and cats along with farm animals like goats and horses. LaMancha aims at taking in dogs who are the least likely to be adopted at other shelters.

• LaMancha Animal Rescue relies on those who donate to support their work.
• Animals available to adopt from LaMancha are on PetFinder.com and adopt-a-pet.com as well on on LaMancha's Facebook page.

All 4 Paws Rescue is a no-kill shelter in Malvern that helps foster all breeds of dogs. The shelter provides sanctuary and rehabilitation to animals for whom All 4 Paws may be a last chance.

• The fostering policy means the animals live with families who are trained to help the rescue facilitate adoptions that are good matches.
• Half of dogs in shelters and more than half of cats are destroyed because there is no one to adopt them. Founded in 2009, All 4 Paws saved 10,000 animals in its first 10 years.
• Volunteers are needed, along with those who can donate.

Finding Shelter Animal Rescue is a no-kill shelter supported by volunteers in southeastern Pennsylvania. The non-profit works to save, rehabiltate, and find homes for animals. Finding Shelter supports state legislation called "Victoria's Law" that would require that pet stores here discontinue the sale of commercially bred dogs, cats and rabbits and only offer animals rescued from shelters and rescues. Detailed information about Victoria’s Law can be found via Humane PA PAC.

• Donations are needed to help Finding Shelter rehabilitated and place pets they have rescued.
• View the Finding Shelter Facebook page to take a peek at animals waiting for adoption.

Make Peace With Animals is a local, 100-percent volunteer nonprofit dedicated to finding "peaceful solutions" to problems that arise with animals in communities. Its special focus is finding adoptions for retiring racing greyhounds. Make Peace With Animals has chapters in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.

• Make Peace With Animals posts its available animals on PetFinder.com. Greyhounds like Jody are waiting for homes.
• The organization's website offers useful veterinary information.

Finding Shelter Animal Rescue has this little girl pup receiving basic care:

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