Animal foster program helps save lives
More than 3,000 animals were sent to foster homes for Oklahoma City Animal Welfare in 2017. Sadly, there were hundreds more that needed to be fostered.
Each year, thousands of animals enter Oklahoma City Animal Welfare needing a foster home before they are able to be made available for adoption. Many of these animals are too young to receive all of their vaccines and be sterilized. Typically, they can be made available at about 8 weeks old. This is the age when they are old enough to be sterilized and begin to thrive well without their mother. This means that most need to spend two to four weeks in a foster home.
The shelter does not have the space in the shelter or staffing to care for the volume that need care, therefore, in many cases, fostering is their only chance of survival.
In some instances, a foster home is needed to help the animal recover from an illness or injury. This can be something as minor as an upper respiratory infection or longer term like recovering from surgery because of being hit by a car. Animals recovering from an upper respiratory infection can typically be ready for adoption within 10 to 14 days, whereas animals that have had surgery could need foster care for as long as three to four months.
The shelter provides all items needed to care for these animals, like food, crates, puppy pads, litter, foster training and veterinary care. All the foster person needs to do is provide the home and love the animals need to get ready for adoption.
Fostering is a great option for people who enjoy the company of a pet, but can’t have one of their own. Oklahoma City Animal Welfare sees a lot of military personnel and people who travel frequently foster because they can pick and choose when they have a pet. It allows them the companionship of a pet without the long-term commitment of having a pet of their own.
The greatest thing about being a foster parent is you get to save lives by increasing the number of animals exiting the shelter alive. Thousands of animals would be euthanized without the shelter’s foster program, and many more foster homes are needed in order to save more. It is a true lifesaving program.
To find out more about Oklahoma City Animal Welfare and how to become a foster parent, visit the shelter at 2811 SE 29, or email awfosters@okc.gov.
Jonathan Gary is Oklahoma City Animal Welfare superintendent. He has worked at Oklahoma City Animal Welfare for more than 18 years, working in all areas of operation leading up to his promotion to superintendent in August 2016.