UH Cougar Paws For The Cause

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Blog 6

Today we are focusing on our fury friends! A huge part of Cougar Paws for the Cause are the fur babies. Dogs provide companionship and company to our senior citizens. They can be a comfort to people who crave unconditional interaction with another living being. According to Vanderbilt University, dogs can decrease levels of human loneliness and give humans a sense of purpose as they care for their animal companions. Dogs provide us with a sense of emotional wellbeing thanks to the unconditional love they give, which is why they're also great company and comfort for people who live alone. Owning a dog can help people to recover from personal trauma, such as bereavement. Owning a dog can help you to maintain a more positive, optimistic perspective on life and what you're faced with. Better yet, they can even lessen the symptoms of depression and anxiety. 

Overburdened shelters take in millions of strays, abused and lost animals every year, and by adopting an animal, you're making room for others. Not only are you giving more animals a second chance, but the cost of your adoption goes directly towards helping those shelters better care for the animals they take in! There are not enough homes for all the animals that are born every year. Adopting from a shelter helps weaken the pet overpopulation cycle. Each year 8 to 12 million dogs, cats, puppies and kittens are euthanized because there are simply not enough homes for them. Beyond just helping an animal in need, you’re giving a rescue an opportunity to find their voice; to be themselves and get a second chance to become a dog beyond the walls of shelter or rescue. You truly give them the keys to start anew in a life where second chances can often be hard to come by. Life is full of stresses, but your rescue dog is always there to listen. They won’t ever judge you or let you down. Taking some time to destress with your furry friends can help you unwind and keep you at peace. We encourage everyone to open their minds and hearts to shelter dogs in need. Even if you are unable to officially adopt, there may be something you can do at your local shelter or rescue to help animals in need.

Here are some local adoption centers, K-9 Angels Rescue, BARC Animal Shelter and Adoptions, or Houston Humane Society, check them out for more info!

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Why Cougar Paws for the Cause is important...

Howdy Houston! As a non-profit organization we play a vital role in building a healthy senior community by providing critical services that contribute to economic stability and mobility, also strengthening the community in other important ways. Nonprofit organizations are vital for the community since they also provide a means for drawing public attention to societal issues. They are specifically put in place to help communities overpass certain issues, this promotes awareness for specific issues and give incentive for change. Cougar Paws for the Cause is a product of AniMeals on Wheels partnering with the University of Houston. AniMeals on Wheels is a program that was created to provide help to elderly individuals and their four-legged friends by providing donated pet food for the ones who cannot. We are trying to help spread awareness, raise money for a good cause, and help the people/pets in need.

They appreciate any ounce of help given. Cougar Paws for the Cause wants to bring joy and happiness to elders and their pets who are unable to bring home food for them. We want senior citizens to be able to enjoy the company of a devoted friend who will be there with them while offering unconditional love.

Support those non-profits that support your community!

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Blog 4

Volunteer at your local pet adoption centers and senior citizen homes!

Being a part of the Cougar Paws means caring for our community, that means caring for our animals. Being an animal shelter volunteer is good for your emotional, physical, and mental health. It is scientifically proven that spending time with animals helps lower your stress levels and blood pressure. It will also keep you active, especially if you prefer to walk dogs. When you volunteer at a shelter, one of the first things you'll realize is how refreshing it is to be surrounded by people who are committed to the work they are doing. Everyone who donates time at a shelter is using their free time to help save animals, and that can be a way to connect with your fellow volunteers. These shelters play a vital role in our communities as they continuously work to reunite pets with their owners (without them our seniors wouldn’t be able to adopt a companion!), shelter those in need and find new homes for animals that are lost, without a permanent home or for those animals that, for our own security, shouldn't be roaming our streets.

 Volunteering can help you learn new skills, gain experience and sometimes even qualifications. Take on a challenge. Through volunteering you can challenge yourself to try something different, achieve personal goals, practice using your skills and discover hidden talents. Just like we can donate to our elderly community for their pets, we can donate directly to these shelters and adoption facilities (pet food, beds, leashes, cleaning supplies, toys, pads, etc.)  Even going to the senior living communities is helpful, today's senior living communities rely strongly on volunteers to create meaningful activities and programs for their residents. Volunteers are a vital part of the community, offering their time, talent, and skills to every dimension of life. Sitting down and chatting with a resident can provide a wealth of knowledge for any individual! Many older adults have life experiences much different from other younger generations. Listening to their stories can provide wisdom and insight for life, offering a new perspective for your own life circumstances. Go out and start volunteering for our animals and seniors!

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Blog 3

A huge part of Cougar Paws for the Cause is the elderly. Today’s blog post will be on the importance of donation to elderly to get you guys inspired to help, Donating is a selfless act. One of the major positive effects of donating money to charity is simply feeling good about giving. Being able to give back to those in need helps you achieve a greater sense of personal satisfaction and growth, it feels good to help others. Donations for older adults allow people to age in place safely, maintain their independence, combat isolation, and improve their quality of life. All of these donation options for seniors has an important impact on changing second half of life. Charitable people tend to be able to cope with their own problems more easily than those who don't donate. Giving to others improves your self-esteem, self confidence and self worth. This advantage flows into all areas of your life so you will find that you are more confident at work and in social situations. Giving can literally make us feel happy, it activates regions of the brain associated with pleasure, social connection, and trust, creating a “warm glow” effect. When you look at the functional MRIs of subjects who gave to various charities, scientists have found that giving stimulates the mesolimbic pathway, which is the reward center in the brain releasing endorphins and creating what is known as the “helper's high.”

So on top of donating, you’re helping these seniors stay with their pets. It’s common for seniors living alone to become socially isolated, especially after the loss of a spouse. Perhaps loved ones aren’t nearby. A pet can help ward off loneliness and the depression that typically follows. During stressful situations, pets can help reduce anxiety and provide emotional stability. Plus, studies show that even just touching a pet offers a calming sensation. Keeping a daily routine can actually help slow the aging process, and the process of taking care of a pet is repetitive in nature. Feeding, grooming, walking, etc. are all tasks that must be done on a daily or weekly basis. A pet keeps you engaged in life around you; keeping you physically active, getting out of the house regularly, making new friends, and allows you to feel useful. Taking care of a living being provides a feeling of satisfaction to keep you motivated and moving forward with your daily life. So you see together the donation of pet items to the seniors is life changing.

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DONATE! DONATE! DONATE!

At the local drop boxes around UH campus you can donate: dry and wet food, bowls, large bath towels, blankets, poopie bags, toys, treats (PEANUT BUTTER), hand sanitizer, paper towel, pet wipes and pads, beds and trash bags are also helpful.

There are many health benefits of owning a pet. They can increase opportunities to exercise, get outside, and socialize. Regular walking or playing with pets can decrease blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and triglyceride levels. Pets can help manage loneliness and depression by giving us companionship.Getting older can be very lonely. Loved ones and friends move or pass away, and it becomes increasingly difficult to leave the house and participate in once-loved activities. But there is once source of comfort and companionship that benefits seniors in countless ways: pets.

It is important for our seniors and their dogs/cats both stay in good health! Being able to keep a pet should be possible at any age, the ability to interact with animals should be preserved throughout the course of life for those who enjoy interacting with animals, whether through pet ownership or other forms of human–animal interaction.For seniors on a pension, the costs of pet ownership may be prohibitive, or they may elect to spend money on a pet at the expense of food or other items for themselves. So let’s come together as a community to build resources for our elders!

Animals, especially pets, also make older adults feel needed, which can translate into larger feelings of purpose and self-worth. In addition, the unconditional love of a pet can lead to more socialization with others, lowered stress, increased mental stimulation and a renewed interest in life.All pets, regardless of species, need care and attention. Pets can give seniors a reason to get out of bed in the morning and start the day. Dogs, in particular, need regular bathing, grooming, walking, feeding, and bathroom breaks. They also need time to play and run off some energy. That is hard to do when seniors don’t have the help or means to do so, which again that is where we come in.

If these animals can’t be taken care of they will have to be given up or taken away because if either the pet or their elderly owner is living in a neglectful situation or experiencing a reduced quality of life, then it is time to explore alternative options. It can be difficult to balance the health, safety and happiness of both the senior and their pet, but it must be done.

We can help turn that around with our donation drop boxes so DONATE, DONATE, DONATE!

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Blog 1

           As a former Meals on Wheels volunteer it is such a wonderful feeling knowing that you are helping to feed the elderly and socializing with new people who look forward to your visit! Delivering meals also keeps you moving which is a great health benefit to you!  A great program that includes the fur babies is AniMeals on Wheels, which is why Cougar Paws for the Cause will be teaming up with them. It was started to make sure that our seniors get all the nutrition they need by not feeling that they have no choice but to share their food with their beloved pets. An added bonus is that, in getting pet food to them, their sweet companions are also getting food that is better for their tummies and overall health. They deliver 11,000 pounds of pet food every month, impacting nearly 1,300 pets. The goal is that the whole family has the food that they need - those with two legs and those with four! This program allows volunteers to deliver pet food along with the meals they bring to human clients. It relies on donations and volunteers for all pet food and deliveries and involves collaborations with a number of pet programs in multiple states. 

Despite the popularity of the program and the huge amount of food donated, the need is even bigger. They are never in a position where they don’t need more donations of pet food. Cougar Paws for the Cause will bring attention to seniors in need, address the issue of lack in resources and inspire/reward new volunteers nationwide to keep up with a rapidly growing senior population. You will see throughout the campus drop box’s where you can donate goods and throughout the semester we will hold donation drive events where you can come out and meet the team/ other volunteers working for the cause. We hope our impact spans the communities that need it the most, but this success requires financial sustainability and that is why we started this campaign. 

Our work has just begun and hopefully we can inspire other schools to get active and work towards this cause!

There shouldn’t be a choice between you or your pets eating, companion animals are vital to seniors, and it is often difficult for these seniors to grocery shop or to get heavy bags or cans of pet food into their homes. We don’t want our seniors to feed half of their meal to their animals because they feel guilty that they don’t have any pet food at home.

Please visit the UH Cougar Paws for the Cause website and/or Animeals on Wheels to donate, everything helps!

(Donations of dog and cat food (both wet and dry), as well as treats, toys, cat litter, and pet beds)

Go Coogs!