- petcommunitycenter
Save a Life, Be a Foster
This post was written by Pet Community Center volunteer, Melissa M.
Pet fosters are stepping stones to adoption. They not only save animal lives, but they also build trust with their foster pets and lay the foundation for successful adoptions.
A few years ago, my family and I got a call asking if we could foster a young dog who
had arrived at the shelter in poor physical and mental condition. Meet Charlotte.
When we first brought Charlotte home, she didn’t make a sound and barely moved for the first several days. Eventually, a routine of love, food, and exercise brought her out of her shell. Dogs are incredibly resilient, and with the help of our two older dogs, Charlotte blossomed over the next three months.
Today, ‘Rey’ (formerly Charlotte) is living her best life with a loving family. Just look at her now!
Nearly 6.5 million animals enter shelters in the United States each year.When you foster a pet, you bring an animal into your home who would otherwise stay in a shelter. By providing foster pets with a temporary home, you give them a safe and calm environment until they find their forever homes.
The Importance of Fostering Pets
Fostering is an effective way to reduce overcrowding in shelters and make room for more animals to be saved. Living in a home environment can also improve a pet’s behavior and socialization skills and increase their chances of adoption.
It also helps animals to overcome fears, recover from trauma, and fully express their personalities – all critical factors in increasing adoption rates.
Benefits of Foster Pets
Fostering pets is a win-win situation. First, it helps local shelters avoid overcrowding. Second, it allows the pets to live in a home environment while they wait for adoption. Third, foster parents can enjoy the love and company of a pet.
Increases a pet’s chance of getting adopted: Foster families can learn about the pet’s personality and teach them house manners and other behavioral skills to help them get adopted faster.
Improves a pet’s social skills: Living with humans and meeting new people will help your foster pet learn how to socialize.
Saves a pet’s life: When you foster a pet, you make room at the shelter for more pets to be saved, which can lower the euthanasia rate.
How to Become a Foster Parent
Fostering doesn’t just benefit the animal; it also gives you the opportunity to enjoy the company of a pet. If you’re considering fostering, reach out to your local shelter to learn more about their process.
Fostering is a life-saving experience for them and a life-changing experience for you. Stand in the gap with me until they find their forever homes!
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