I try to volunteer at an animal shelter as often as I can.  I think its important to care for animals. I didn't used to have much thought toward them but that changed as I learned more about animal cruelty.
That's great! I'd love to work at an animal shelter one day! Does your facility care for mostly dogs and cats, or do you also help sick or wounded wildlife?
Dogs, cats, some reptiles, and small animals like guinea pigs.  We were thinking of rescuing a couple guinea pigs.
Animal shelter
An animal shelter or pound is a place where stray, lost, abandoned or surrendered animals, mostly dogs and cats, and sometimes sick or wounded wildlife are kept and rehabilitated. While no-kill shelters exist, it is sometimes policy to euthanize sick animals, and any animal that is not claimed quickly enough by a previous or new owner. In Europe, of 30 countries included in a survey, all but four (Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, and Italy) permitted the killing of healthy stray
, Newkirk had given no thought to animals rights or even vegetarianism. In 1970, she and her husband moved to Poolesville, Maryland, where she studied to become a stockbroker. A neighbor abandoned some kittens, and Newkirk decided to take them to an animal shelter. She told Specter:
Newkirk took a job in the kennels, witnessing the mistreatment of the animals, including physical abuse. Kathy Snow Guillermo writes that Newkirk disinfected kennels by day, and by night studied animal care, animal behavior, and animal-cruelty