Give Shelter Pets - and their caregivers - A Break

This December, more than 1,600 shelters and rescue groups are joining Petfinder.com to find foster homes for adoptable pets during the holiday season – ideally from Christmas to New Year’s Day.

  

The Need for Foster Families
As I’m sure you are aware, many shelters and rescue groups are still seeing a decline in adoptions and an increase in relinquishments due to the economic downturn. Because shelters are overcrowded, adoptable pets are euthanized every year because they don’t have a home. While Petfinder.com’s ultimate goal is always adoption, fostering is a great way for families to determine if they are ready to be pet parents, while allowing shelters and rescues to continue helping animals in need.

 

Details about Foster A Lonely Pet For The Holidays

In addition to raising awareness about fostering overall, the goal of the Foster A Lonely Pet For The Holidays program is to provide a warm, loving place for adoptable pets to stay during the holiday season while giving shelter workers and volunteers a well-deserved break. Last year, 38 percent of the shelters and rescue groups who participated had families contact them to foster a pet for the holidays. Of those, 62 percent ultimately found permanent homes for adoptable pets as a result of the program.

Local Shelters

Interested families can find a participating shelter in their area at http://www.petfinder.com/fosteralonelypet. Staff and volunteers at each organization will be available to answer questions about the fostering process and help select a pet who will be a good match for the foster family’s lifestyle.