Fostering: The Gift of Giving

A common occurrence in any shelter there is an ever-waivering line between over-crowded and full capacity. One huge way of overcoming this line is, obviously, through adopting out more animals. But what happens when those animals have been waiting for their forever homes for over a year? Over two years? There are any number of reasons that adopters pass up particular pets that are otherwise fantastic. We want the best for ALL our pets, and sometimes the best option is putting them in an environment where they can truly thrive: a foster home. Fostering is a sure-fire way to observe, understand, and help our four-legged pals get the homes they deserve. Once they are placed in a foster home they can relax and let the walls come down, and their personalities shine so much brighter. We can give potential adopters real facts about how the pet acts in a home environment, with kids, or with animals.

Fostering isn’t just for the animals that require behavioral adjustments; it’s also for the puppies and kittens who sometimes need round-the-clock care and feeding, or for mothers and their babies. These little tykes stay in fostering until they are big enough to be spayed or neutered and can be made available for adoption. Foster parents have the unique experience of seeing their foster litters open their eyes for the first time, take those first big steps from wobbly legs to sure-footed running and watching personalities bloom into existence. That’s not to say it isn’t hard work, because it is. But the rewards make it all worth it!

 

We are always growing our network of foster families to help us improve the lives of our pets. Even when we don’t have any newborn puppies or kittens to foster, we will always have older pets that need the hands-on care to help them become more adoptable.

If you are interested in fostering with Pets In Need, please don’t hesitate to call or email us. Foster today!