Earlier this year, we launched a Safety Net Fostering program, providing foster homes for animals in need of temporary housing. Designed to be a support system for families experiencing housing crisis, medical procedures requiring time out of the home, or other temporary status that inhibits caring for a pet with all other alternatives exhausted, the Safety Net Program operates much like our current foster program.

If a family is in need and their pet(s) appear to fit our qualifications for the program, they are taken into our system and moved through, with their animals placed safely in foster with our team of foster volunteers until their families are ready to take them back. Our team also provides support to the humans, checking in weekly and following up on progress towards health and wellbeing that will allow for successful reunification to take place.

To date, we have fostered and reunited 10 families, with 12 more animals in this program’s care. We’d like to highlight Ben, Lisa, and their cat Nixie. Ben lost his job due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in turn was temporarily homeless. Nixie came into our care while Ben found a new job and place to live, and recently the whole family was able to move into temporary pet-friendly housing while they look for a more permanent home. As we expand our resources and ability to provide this kind of intentional care to the community, we look forward to helping more families like Ben, Lisa, & Nixie remain together.

These are animals with loving homes going through a tough time, and in that spirit we work hard to keep them together, providing a safe place to land for pets instead of moving directly to a rehoming plan. Our work in the community lifting up families and helping clients we serve be the best pet owners they can be through care and compassion will help us further our goal of engaging successfully with all pet loving families regardless of physical ability, social status, or income.