Adopt a Shelter Pet Day with Savy Leiser
April 30th is Adopt a Shelter Pet Day. We interviewed Savy Leiser, author, influencer, and animal lover, about their advocacy and how others can get started in social impact.
Savy Leiser of Furever Home Friends
According to NationalToday.com, Adopt a Shelter Pet Day was officially recognized as a national holiday in 2013. The goal of the holiday is to encourage people to adopt animals from shelters as shelter pets make great lifelong companions. This day also raises awareness of the need for volunteers at animal shelters, as the shelters are quite often understaffed and in need of more resources.
Savy Leiser is one such advocate of this day who is using their influence to better the lives of shelter pets everywhere. Leiser is an author, influencer, and animal lover based in Chicago, Illinois. They are the host of a podcast entitled “Your Morning Guru” as well as the YouTuber behind the “Savy Writes Books” channel. Leiser is also the proud owner of a small business, Furever Home Friends, where they sell picture books and plushies based on real-life shelter pets. These books teach the importance of caring for pets while advocating for the adoption of shelter animals.
“I was going through my own journey of seeking help for mental health issues at the time, and it made me realize how much we humans really have in common with our pets. I wrote a story about Chewie, and before I knew it, the dog stories had grown into a series.”
Leiser started Furever Home Friends because they’ve always had a passion for writing. As a kid, their mother would ask them to write stories about their rescue dog. When they finished college, Leiser started to revise the old drafts they had saved from past projects. Upon adopting their dog, Chewie, in 2016, they learned about Chewie’s past and some of the emotional and psychological issues he had. Leiser says, “I was going through my own journey of seeking help for mental health issues at the time, and it made me realize how much we humans really have in common with our pets. I wrote a story about Chewie, and before I knew it, the dog stories had grown into a series.”
In regards to Adopt a Shelter Pet Day, Leiser wanted to clarify that “giving pets a good home is always a net positive, whether you adopt or shop.” However, they prefer adopting over buying from breeders or pet stores because oftentimes, shelter pets, especially those with trauma, are overlooked in favor of purebreds. “There are plenty of good reasons to shop, [such as] finding a pet that is compatible with your allergies,” says Leiser. “However, sometimes shopping from pet stores ends up financially supporting "puppy mills," which are big breeding farms that mistreat the animals in order to produce as many pets for a profit as possible.” Doing your research is imperative when looking for a new pet.
Leiser encourages influencers wanting to get started with advocacy to find causes that are close to home, both literally and figuratively. They say starting local is helpful because “you can often get to know the [volunteers and coordinators] face-to-face.” Picking a cause that is personal will be more meaningful and feel more authentic to you. Leiser became involved more deeply with shelter animals because they shared a connection with Chewie, their rescue dog. While you may not have direct experience with a cause, one of your loved ones, someone, or something in your nearby community might. Taking a minute to look around and see where you can help could be the start of something entirely new, exciting, and impactful.
Thank you so much to Savy Leiser for their interview! You can follow them at their social channels below:
YouTube: SAVY WRITES BOOKS (https://www.youtube.com/savyleiser)
Website: https://www.SavyWritesBooks.com
Instagram: @SavyLeiser @FureverHomeFriends
Twitter: @SavyLeiser @FureverBooks
