Animal Foster Care
Throughout most of my life, anytime someone would mention an animal shelter, the picture that immediately came to mind was a scene straight out of Disney’s Lady and the Tramp: a sassy pup with the voice of Peggy Lee singing the blues, with a bunch of scraggly strays singing backup. And then there’s the moment in the film when, in shadows, the dogs watch as one of them is taken from his holding pen and led down the dark corridor — the reminder that all these dogs were facing imminent death if no one claimed them. Terrifying. And that’s the Disney version of the pound.
Last year, I became active in a local initiative for a no-kill community program, and as a result I became more aware of the typical shelter conditions. Today’s shelters are overcrowded and understaffed. The usual holding period for any captured animal is only 3-5 days, and the clock ticks even faster if the shelter is at capacity, or for animals that show any sign of illness or aggression. Ultimately, up to 70% of all captured animals end up euthanized. The new Animal Rescue postage stamps are promoting the adoption of shelter animals; there are countless dogs and cats in desperate need of loving homes. But many of us may not be in a position to adopt a new companion animal. Adoption is a big responsibility, and a commitment that could last upwards of ten or fifteen years.
So here’s an easy alternative that literally will save lives. How about offering foster care for an animal? Basically, you’re buying an animal time… the time it takes to find him/her a permanent, loving family. So, even if you have a job that requires considerable travel, or you divide time between two residences, or a long-term commitment isn’t feasible, you can offer your home as a refuge to an animal when the odds are stacked against him.
Here are some groups from various cities around the country that coordinate foster care:
- New York, NY: Animal Care & Control of New York City
- Brooklyn, NY: Brooklyn Animal Foster Network
- Tucson, AZ: Tucson Cold Wet Noses and FAIR (we adopted our Galileo from FAIR!)
- Phoenix, AZ: Phoenix Animal Rescue
- Portland, OR: Oregon Humane Society
- Washington DC: Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation
- St. Louis, MO: Dogs Deserve Better
- Boston, MA: MSPCA-Angell
- Orlando, FL: Pet Rescue by Judy
- Los Angeles, CA: Life 4 Paws
If your location is not listed above, please call your local shelter or humane society to find out about organizations in your own neighborhood, or perform a quick “animal foster care” internet search. The decision to foster can make a huge difference to one helpless animal who simply needs time… and a little TLC.
*special thanks to Elise Traub, Michelle McDonald, Joan McKenna, and Nicole Pallotta for providing information about local organizations.
Related posts:
Leave a Reply
Cruelty-Free Faves in your Inbox
Subscription Options:
Sharon Discorfano
Facebook Like Box
@shadisco on Twitter
History
Great post, Sharon!