Animals in shelters are members of our communities. They may have been or will become our neighbors or family pets.
“Every year, over 6.5 million dogs and cats and other household pets are surrendered to animal shelters” in the U.S., according to World Animal Foundation.
Although data on pet intake fluctuates, some shelters in South Carolina are currently so overcrowded that officials are reporting “crisis” levels.
Fostering, or providing temporary care for, is a great way to give pets a break from shelter life. Plus, fostering “also relieves pressure on shelters and rescues, allowing these organizations to help more pets in need,” says Pedigree Foundation.
Pets at shelters can range from puppies to dogs rescued from illegal and “barbaric” dog fighting rings. Fostering helps prepare all of them for adoption.
Fostering opportunities are available year-round.
But every June — National Foster a Pet Month — there’s a push to get more pet lovers to temporarily look after companion animals.
For years I fostered dogs. I cared for young dogs, senior dogs, and everything in between.
One of the dogs I fostered was Jeriko:. “J” loved my bathroom mat. Even though I made a comfortable space for him in the living room, he’d always return to the bathroom to lie on that mat. “J” showed me that dogs have preferences.
When he was adopted, I bought him the same mat to take with him to his “forever home.”
I also fostered Misty.
During the time I was caring for her, I asked a friend to look after Misty while I took a short vacation. When my friend came to the house to pick her up, Misty started doing “the zoomies.”
Misty was so excited that she ran in circles. She reminded me that dogs are expressive. Misty really liked my friend, and she showed it. In no time, my friend’s family fell in love with Misty and adopted her.
Then, there’s Arthur.
I first saw Arthur when I was pulling up to the shelter’s parking lot. I was returning a crate that belonged to them, and I saw a volunteer walking him back to the building. I thought, “This dog shouldn’t be here.” Arthur’s missing one of his legs.
The next day I called the shelter to see if Arthur was still there. He was. I picked him up, and he became my next foster.
When Arthur arrived home, I let him lie down on the couch and I sat next to him. He quickly got up and dropped on my lap. He showed me that dogs just want to be loved.
I quickly fell in love with Arthur and adopted him — “foster to forever.”
People frequently ask me about Arthur. Does he need a prosthetic? No. Is he ill? No. I like when people ask so they discard misinformed or preconceived ideas about dogs with special needs. Anyone who’s met Arthur knows he’s passionate about tennis balls, and he loves to run — even hop — to catch them.
Sometimes dogs who’ve spent time at a shelter are misunderstood.
Once while walking Misty, a neighbor saw us and said he couldn’t be near pit bulls. Misty’s a pit bull mix. I reminded the neighbor that breedism is a form of racism. He’d never spent time with Misty, so he didn’t know that she’s calm and affectionate. If he’d given Misty a chance, he wouldn’t have judged her just by her appearance.
Animals don’t judge us, so let’s not judge them.
By fostering and getting to know companion animals, we can inform potential adopters about their personalities. This increases their chances of getting adopted.
Saying goodbye once they’d been adopted always made me cry. I laughed and learned with them, and it was impossible not to get attached.
People sometimes said, “I couldn’t foster. It’d be too painful.” But to me it was simple. I could cry from joy that they’d found a safe and loving home. Or I could do nothing.
Fostering is flexible and varies.
There are hundreds of shelters across South Carolina, and they’ll help coordinate a schedule that works well for everyone.
Fostering can last for a few weeks or be as short as an afternoon walk. But regardless of the amount of time given, the benefits are manifold.
Maria Cartaya is the founder of Mar's Mission, a not-for-profit that advocates for companion animals via education. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
