Visiting a pet rescue website or your local BCSPCA and seeing the animals that are waiting for a new home, you may want to rush out, buy a farm, and adopt them all.
Perhaps more pragmatically, you can help and get your four-legged friend cuddles by becoming a foster parent. Consider a puppy or a kitten, a hamster or a bunny or any number of farm animals or an old one that needs some tender loving care for a short period of time. You can make a difference and feel the joy of being with an animal in their time of need. And you can still have free time to travel or go on vacation for two or three months!
Adrienne McBride, of Kelowna, is enthusiastic about fostering from two standpoints: as a foster pet parent; and as the director of the BC SPCA Fostering Program. Her mother often looked after kittens when Adrienne was growing up and both she and her mother continue to foster today.
The first time Adrienne and her family fostered a stray cat and her six kittens, the family wanted to cry when they returned the cat and kittens to the SPCA. But after a time and new fostering positions, the family came to accept that the temporary placements were their gift to the little ones as they begin their lives. And each time they took on a new foster pet, they had joy all over again.
The BC SPCA’s foster program allows you to make a difference in an animal’s life while they are transitioning into a stage of being ready for adoption.
Time commitments range from one week to 16 weeks. For instance, a sick or injured animal could be with you for up to eight weeks. Whereas bottle feeding animals ranges from five to 12 weeks. You can also accept a compassionate placement in an emergency situation, which can last up to six months. The times vary with different situations.
Diane has been fostering kittens for eight years. Sometimes they come with a mother cat and are still nursing. Sometimes they are orphaned and are being bottle fed every two hours. Diane and her family started fostering when their long-time cat was 18 years old. Her children were younger, and she wanted to emotionally prepare the children for the loss of their old friend. She put in the application and started fostering kittens. Diane thinks it is a good arrangement for her family as they can choose when they have kittens in their home, and when to take a break.
Many retired people, who love animals but don’t want to give up their freedom to travel and enjoy life away from home, can take on a foster pet for a period in which they will be at home. Sometimes those cute kitten or puppy videos on the internet just aren’t enough to get your pet needs met. Having a pet visit can have health benefits not just for the animal but also for the caregiving fosterer. The joy and convenience of being a foster parent, says Adrienne, is nice and the impact on the animal is tremendous. It’s a double-win situation.
There are many reasons why pets need fostering. People who foster animals are not only helping the animals but often helping people who find themselves in dire circumstances and are unable to continue with their animal’s care. Sometimes it is a family fleeing spousal abuse, or an isolated elder needing to go into hospital for surgery, or a natural disaster that displaces a family.
During the wildfires in BC, the BC SPCA was able to say, “Don’t worry about your pets, we will take them and look after them until you can get back home.” This was a significant help for those who were in the traumatic circumstance of losing their home and their loved ones. Being in a kennel for an animal can be upsetting, while moving into a person’s home is less disruptive in distressing times. In some cases, pets who live together can be fostered to the same home, which provides some stability in a new environment. As the season of wildfires and flooding starts to build in BC, the BCSPCA issues a call for people to add their name to an emergency foster list. Adrienne calls this an incredible gift someone can offer another.
One grandmother mentioned how she taught her granddaughter about empathy and caring for animals through being a part of the foster program. She often invites the neighbourhood children to come over and help with the care of the kittens.
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Laurie Mueller, M.Ed is retired and living in Victoria with her husband, Helmuth. She recently published The Ultimate Guide on What to Do When Someone You Love Dies, available on Amazon. More about Laurie can be found at www.lauriemconsulting.com or on Facebook.