From Foster to Forever Home
Pet fostering is when someone temporarily takes care of a pet until they can find their forever home. It's a great way to help animals needing personal attention and provide them with a safe and loving environment. Pet fostering is important because it provides temporary homes for animals in need, such as those in shelters, while they wait for permanent homes. Fostering helps to reduce overcrowding in shelters and gives animals the chance to receive individualized care and attention, which can increase their chances of being adopted. Additionally, fostering can be a rewarding experience for those who want to make a positive impact on animal welfare or those who desire a trial period of pet ownership.
Shelter Life
Animal shelter life can be tough for pets who are waiting to find their forever homes. However, shelters provide important care, attention, and medical treatment for animals in need. Animals end up in the shelter for numerous reasons like being abandoned, lost, or rehomed from their current family. The need for rehoming sometimes stems from allergies, death of a pet-owner, divorce, the birth of a baby, or relocation.
Pets that have been abandoned or lost often face hunger, weather, and traffic and enter adoption shelters needing medical attention before they could become adoptable. After medical examinations, treatments, and behavioral tests, adoption centers use their discretion to determine if the pet is healthy enough for adoption.
A Harsh Reality
The World Animal Foundation estimates that 920,000 adoptable cats and dogs are euthanized each year in the US because of a lack of homes.
Pet shelters are important places that provide temporary homes for animals in need. However, overcrowded shelters are a common occurrence.
No-Kill Shelters
To help lower the number of animals euthanized each year, some shelters have developed a no-kill policy. Best Friends Animal Society is the largest no-kill shelter in the United States who adopts policies such as "Save Them All". This shelter and many others, like Wallis Annenberg PetSpace in Playa Vista, CA, strive to keep their animals as long as it takes to find them new homes. City shelters and government-funded shelters rarely have this policy because of the large number of animals they receive.
No-kill shelters are usually run by groups that have volunteers or individuals with enough space to foster pets until a permanent home can be found. However, many of these groups and individuals have a finite number of spaces available. This means they will not take in new animals unless a space opens, although they will often take back pets they have adopted out previously. Sometimes they try to find foster homes where the animal can be placed temporarily until someone adopts them.
Wallis Annenberg PetSpace and Best Friends Animal Society have partnered to host an interactive workshop on May 6th about fostering kittens.
Attendees will gain comprehensive guidance on kitten care and have the opportunity to begin their foster journey with either organization. The goal of the workshop is to build confidence in your ability to provide a happy, loving, and safe temporary home environment. Both organizations have great missions and are fully dedicated to getting their furry four-legged friends into great homes as well as educating the public on how to properly care for their pets.
From Foster to Forever Home
Beau sitting cozy in his new forever home!
Beau once was a resident at the Wallis Annenberg PetSpace. He was a shy pup that got really anxious around unfamiliar faces. His response to fear and anxiety was submissive urination, which is a dog's uncontrollable, instinctive reaction to the presence of another dog or human that they feel is intimidating to them.
When I first met Beau at PetSpace, he ran behind the trainer and urinated all over the floor in his suite. But the attentive trainers at PetSpace discovered a way to help open him up to human encounters. Beau loves to play with other dogs! He specifically loves playgroups. The trainers found that when he is in playgroup, he is more accepting of humans in that space.
It wasn’t too long after I started joining the playgroups, that Beau would come over to me to be petted, do his play stance so that I could chase him (he loves to play chase), and take treats from my hand. Playgroups did wonders for his demeanor and he was often the model dog used to guide for new pups coming into playgroups. But he did continue to show signs of kennel stress once back in his suite.
It Takes a Village
Having a network of mindful pet care professionals makes a big difference in the pet’s adjustment period from shelter to foster to adoption.
Then came in a wonderful lady who had been eyeing Beau’s profile online. She seemed to love Beau already and was interested in fostering him. She really wanted to adopt him, but wanted to take it slow to ensure he would be comfortable with her. Beau’s first encounter with her was through a trainer and one of Beau’s dog pals, Daisy. Seeing Daisy interact with the lady peaked Beau’s curiosity and, soon, he was snuggling up next to her.
She fostered Beau for a week before adopting him. He is now in a loving home, close to the beach (did I mention he loves the water, too!), and gets to go on hikes and playdates with his new owner.
I have the pleasure of pet sitting him whenever she has to go into the office or travel.
Fostering is not only a significant contribution to local shelters and rescue facilities, it is a way to establish a bond with what might be your future forever bestie. I have been blessed to see the lives of pets and human counterparts change through this process.
My forever bestie even started out as a foster. Say hello to my Luna-Bear ❤︎
All the bestie, Steph
P.S. - To learn more about my services, including dog walking and pet sitting in Los Angeles, please contact info@furbabybestie.com.
