Author Archives: Shana Ryberg

2023, Adoption, Military Veterans, Veterans

Veterans urged to adopt a pet from ACAS, compliments of FOTAS

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
Young Lorenzo is calm, sweet and loves other dogs.
09
Nov

Today is Veterans Day, a national holiday that honors U.S. veterans for serving and protecting our country.

FOTAS strongly supports our armed forces and recognizes the benefits that veterans and active military personnel can experience from the company of a shelter cat or dog. We launched our Veterans Adoption Program in 2015 that allows U.S veterans and active U.S. military personnel to adopt a dog or cat from the Aiken County Animal Shelter (ACAS) for no charge, year-round. It is our way of showing gratitude to the people who serve our country and make sacrifices to defend our freedoms.

We just wish more veterans would take advantage of this offer. There are so many wonderful dogs and cats at the County Shelter who would make amazing pets for them (or any home), including:

Brolee is playful, cuddly, loves other dogs and will make a fantastic family dog.
Brolee is playful, cuddly, loves other dogs and will make a fantastic family dog.

Brolee. This four-year-old, 61-pound mixed breed is white with soulful blue eyes. He was rescued from a cruelty case but is one of the sweetest dogs at the shelter. Brolee loves other dogs and will make a terrific family pet.

 

Cutie-pie Groot is an active, medium-sized mixed breed who desperately needs a good home.
Cutie-pie Groot is an active, medium-sized mixed breed who desperately needs a good home.

Groot. Cutie-pie Groot has a soft white and black coat and a playful spirit. He is four years old, just 45 pounds and enjoys the company of other dogs. Groot is always up for an adventure.

Harriet & Nessie. This mama Tabby and her kitten are a bonded pair that needs a loving home together. Two-year-old Harriet and her seven-month-old daughter Nessie are housecats who have never been outside but do wonderfully indoors.

Kodak. Calm and cute, two-year-old, brown and white mixed breed Kodak is 50 pounds and adorable.

Kodak is a calm, sweet boy who will make an excellent canine companion.
Kodak is a calm, sweet boy who will make an excellent canine companion.

This poor dog was abandoned on a highway and rescued while dodging speeding cars. He likes other dogs and enjoys cuddling on the couch with volunteers.

Lorenzo. Handsome stray Lorenzo is just one year old and has a gorgeous bronze and white coat. He is 39 pounds, athletic, loves other dogs and walks wonderfully on a leash. This dog is a gem waiting to be discovered.

Reese. Red Retriever mix Reese is high energy, playful and loves other dogs. He is three years old, 53 pounds and enjoys car rides and visits to the park.

This is just a small sampling. There are so many more fabulous pets at the County Shelter in need of loving homes – a list too long to fit in the space allowed for this column.

If you are a veteran or active in the military, please take advantage of your complimentary adoption and help us spread the word about this program. The shelter is at full capacity and there are so many sweet pets desperate to find loving homes.

Their lives are in our hands.
By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

By the Numbers
During the month of October, the Aiken County Animal Shelter received 400 Aiken County animals, bringing the total to 4,006 Aiken County animals this year.

2023, adopter feedback, Adoption, Bully Dogs

Beau Roland

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
Beau found his family
03
Nov

I saw Beau’s photo on Instagram, another pit bull in a sea of pitties looking for love. Looking back, I see there was nothing remarkable about his photo, but I felt a deep pull to rescue him. I’ve always been an adoption advocate yet had never had a Pitbull until moving to SC and seeing their numbers in the shelters. Truffles was my first adoptee (a stray momma dog) and it’s because of her that I have fallen especially hard in love with this “breed”. Let me first dismiss the deception. They are not fighters but lovers. (I call them aggressive snugglers) They are fiercely loyal and loving and big couch potatoes, often called, “house hippos”. Once you spend time with this type of dog, you’ll fall in love too.

Beau came into the Aiken County Animal Shelter as a stray, as many do. I surmise he escaped his previous dismal circumstances as he has scarring on his legs and his ears have been chopped. But the scars on his heart healed and his easy-going, chill personality was able to shine through. His favorite activities are daily walks, playing with his girlfriend, a yellow lab named Lucie, and being anywhere with me. All good dog owners love to show off their dogs, but as a pittie mom, I am also passionate about dispelling misconceptions about these dogs, so I bring Beau with me, where appropriate, so more people can meet my canine “good citizen”. With his handsome good looks and affectionate demeanor, Beau’s become my ambassador for pitbulls and he makes friends wherever we go.

Each dog that comes into our lives brings a different kind of love and joy. They are unique in their personalities and the lives they live with us. Having loved and lived with dogs my whole life, I still miss every single one that I have lost. Oh how I loved, Askim, a large shepherd mix who also came from a shelter and whose heart was so big and love so contagious that he became a therapy dog. Together we visited nursing homes, schools, hospitals, and libraries. We met many who wanted to stroke his soft fur and remember their own dogs of days gone by. How rewarding it was and how easily he adapted to his “job” and brought so much joy. Seeing how well suited to therapy work Beau would also be, I registered him with the ATD (Alliance of Therapy Dogs) program and made our “Aiken visitations” official! We can be seen at the usual therapy venues, including funeral homes. There Beau is the first official therapy dog on call for grieving families to benefit from the unconditional love and affection that only a dog can give.

Shelter dogs are a special “breed” and it is true that they know when they have been rescued. What they give back is hard to quantify. How do we measure love? For me it’s with 4 paws.

Written by Debbie Roland, FOTAS Supporter

2023, Foster, Volunteer

FOTAS partners with USC Aiken to help County Shelter animals

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
USC Aiken students visited the Aiken County Animal Shelter to learn more about FOTAS volunteer opportunities.
29
Oct

We have been very lucky to be partnering with staff and students at the University of South Carolina, Aiken.

This summer, I was contacted by Logan Sharpe, Assistant Director of Student Leadership and Engagement, who had some students that needed volunteer opportunities. We set up a time for them to visit the Aiken County Animal Shelter on September 14. These students blew my mind, they were so kind, they asked all the right questions and sincerely cared about how the shelter works and why it is important.

This was the beginning of our partnership.

We were then invited to the Volunteer Fair on campus in October. Volunteer Kathy Samaha and I took an adoptable dog Tina to meet students and explain how EASY it can be to volunteer.

Volunteering doesn’t come natural to everyone. It can be uncomfortable calling, setting up training, making time. So, we handed out flyers showing students how they can “check out” a dog through our Doggie Dating Program.

Many students living on campus miss their pets left at home. We offer a program in which all people have to do is call the shelter and set up a pick up time. They can then come get a dog, take it to the park, take it to Dunkin Donuts, wherever! It’s just fun and stress relieving for both the students and the dogs. (Plus let’s face it, their generation is way better at taking pics and displaying them on social media to reach our leading adoption market.)

Kaydence Moore is a student at USC Aiken who recently became a volunteer and foster for us. She and her friends have been walking dogs and now she has fostered two dogs!

“I enjoy volunteering and fostering so much,” she said. “I get the chance to improve these dogs’ lives as much as I possibly can and I think that is rewarding enough. I decided to help out at FOTAS because, for one, I saw that they needed volunteers and fosters. All of my pets growing up have been adopted from a shelter or as a stray. With how much they have helped me, both emotionally and physically, I wanted to help and give that back as much as I could.”

This past week, I was invited to speak to students on campus at their Paws 4 a Cause seminar. The students were so great and asked good questions. They were shocked by the number of animals we have and I hope feel motivated to change this community for the better.

We look forward to the administration members coming in November for their volunteer training as well.

We are grateful to be invited to schools in our area. If we are ever going to change the constant flow of unwanted, neglected and abused animals in Aiken County, it will have to be through education.

Their lives are in our hands.
By Kathy Cagle, FOTAS Programs Coordinator

Adoption, Volunteer

Volunteer Mr. Kennedy inspires new FOTAS program for shelter dogs

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
Volunteer Bob Kennedy sits with timid one-year-old Lucy.
14
Oct

When Mr. Robert (Bob) Kennedy visits the Aiken County Animal Shelter each week, it makes everyone happier. He is a senior citizen who has become a valuable member of our volunteer family.

“His patience and gentleness put the dogs at ease and brings out their affection,” said Volunteer Kari Dawson-Ekeland. “He loves getting them to snuggle with him and most times they are fast asleep when I go check on him. The handful of kibble, water in the bowl and his calm voice all contribute to his positive influence. A shy dog is confident with him, and a silly dog is calm with him.”

Sadly, three years ago Mr. Kennedy’s wife passed away. When he speaks of their life together, it melts your heart. The couple met in seventh grade, married at 20 years old and raised three children together. Mr. Kennedy’s work moved his family around the world from France, Cape Town South Africa, Columbia, Dubai and more! They rescued dogs in other countries, making them part of their family. He talks about the street dogs that he and his wife took in while living in Dubai and brought back to the states with them.

Each dog they owned was different from Great Danes to Shepherds and Labradors. Their last dog, Poppy, just passed away this year. The sadness of losing his wife and his dog led him to helping shelter dogs.

When Mr. Kennedy came to the shelter, he knew he would not be able to walk the dogs. He has trouble at times and uses a walker for balance. The volunteers encouraged him to watch our dog playgroups as a way of getting involved.

However, everyone started to fall in love with Mr. Kennedy and found that he is more valuable with helping the shy, scared, or insecure dogs.  “He is so willing to sit with those dogs that need extra attention while they transition to the shelter,” said Volunteer Valerie Johnson. “It’s clear the difference he has made with many a dog. There is no mistake that he is a wonderful asset to FOTAS. He also leaves with a full heart and big smile with every visit. He is a treasure!”

We are always in need of caring, loving volunteers and we are hoping to expand our volunteer base to include more individuals that may not be physically able to handle the dogs.

If you are not able to walk dogs but you would like to spend time with them, please contact us and we will set up a time for you to come and sit with pets that need extra attention. This program, the “Mr. Kennedy Program,” will be by appointment. This way, we can make sure that an adoption room is open for you to come and spend an hour with a dog or two! Please contact us at fotasaiken.org to learn more. This program is available on weekday mornings between 9:00 and 11:00.

Their lives are in our hands.
By Kathy Cagle, FOTAS Programs Coordinator

Adoption, Home-to-Home adoption program

Need to give up a pet? Try Home to Home

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
07
Oct

This summer, a friend approached me with a problem. He needed to find a new family for a cat that had come into his household. The cat, Simon, belonged to his son, who had recently had a change in his living situation. Simon was a 4-year-old neutered male tabby who was not accustomed to living with other cats. My friend’s resident cats were not happy about their new roommate, and the feeling was mutual. Simon wasn’t getting the attention he desired, either. He needed a different situation.

I told my friend what I tell everyone who asks me about rehoming a pet: Try Home To Home™.  Home to Home is a national website that connects animals needing homes with people seeking pets. There is a local chapter here in Aiken managed by volunteers from Friends of the Animal Shelter (FOTAS). People with an adoptable pet simply write a description and email it along with a picture or two to FOTAS.HOME-HOME.ORG.  FOTAS organizes all the listings before publishing them to their website, and they promote the local Home to Home adoptable animals on their Facebook page. The Aiken County Animal Shelter also keeps an updated book with all the Home to Home listings to show potential adopters who come to the shelter looking for a pet.  People seeking new pets can search the online listings just the way they might look on any pet adoption website. The entire service is free of charge, and there are no rehoming or adoption fees allowed. (Contrary to popular opinion, multiple studies have shown that charging a rehoming fee does not correlate with successful adoption or ensure that the pet is going into a good home.)

I knew about the Home to Home website, and I always thought it would be an excellent way for a pet to find a new family. It would certainly be better than surrendering a pet to the shelter, which is traumatic for the animal and his owners, and is difficult for the shelter too, which should be reserved for animals with no homes at all. But I had no idea if anyone would have any interest in Simon and I was skeptical. It was the height of kitten season and shelters were filled with adorable little fluff balls. Who would want an ordinary middle aged tabby cat who demanded to be the only cat in the home?

But I helped my friend by writing a description and sending in the pictures he gave me. That was on a Thursday. By Saturday, we had our first inquiry. By Tuesday we had three, all from local people who just wanted a nice cat to sit on their laps. The following Sunday, 10 days after I sent in Simon’s information, my friend and his son delivered the cat to his new home. They continued to get updates about him throughout the summer, and all of them, cats and people, are very satisfied. 

I am happy too. I have recommended the Home to Home website many times, but now I know that it really works. Many animal lovers can’t imagine giving up a pet, or act as though anyone who does is acting irresponsibly. But in the real world, there are times when it is better for everyone if an animal moves on to a place where he or she will be happy and loved. Home-to-Home can help that happen. 

Their lives are in our hands.

By Pam Gleason, Editor of The Aiken Horse

2023, Lost pets, microchipping

Here’s what to do if your pet goes missing…

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
Some of the many lost pet flyers posted at the Aiken County Animal Shelter. On Oct. 14, County residents can get their pets microchipped for free to help them avoid losing their pets forever.
29
Sep

It is every pet owner’s fear that their dog or cat will vanish from their sight, yet it happens every day. A dog escapes through an open gate, an adventurous cat scurries out the front door, a scared dog wriggles out of his collar while being walked and runs off…there are so many ways this fear can become a reality.

If this nightmare does happen to you, don’t panic. There are steps you can take to locate your lost pet. If you act on them right away, your chances of reuniting with your lost pet are greatly improved.

  1. Contact the Aiken County Animal Shelter at (803) 642-1537. Be prepared to provide the following information:

    – Your name and telephone number
    – Where the pet went missing / was found (cross streets & city)
    – The date your pet went missing
    – Name, sex, age, size, color(s) and distinguishing marks
    – If your pet has a collar, state the color
    – Mention if your lost animal has a microchip

  2. Post your lost pet on your social media as well as the Aiken Pets Reunited Facebook page. Be sure to include the same information you provided to the shelter and a high-quality photo or two of your pet.
  3. Visit the County Animal Shelter (and other local animal shelters and rescue groups) to see if your pet is there… and keep checking. It may take a few days or even weeks before your animal is turned in.
  4. Put flyers up in front of your house and throughout your neighborhood. Many people drive around looking for the owner of an animal they’ve found. A large yard sign will help them locate you. Email or hand deliver flyers to your local shelters and rescues.
  5. Check with local workers. Be sure to alert your local postal workers, delivery drivers, bus drivers and garbage collectors. They are in the neighborhood daily and may spot your pet.

Microchip your pet for peace of mind
A tiny microchip could be the difference between losing your pet forever or getting them back home safe and sound. It is so essential, in fact, that FOTAS and the County Shelter are sponsoring a Free Aiken County Pet Microchipping Event on Saturday, Oct. 14, from noon to 2 p.m. If you live in Aiken County, you can bring your dog or cat to the County Animal Shelter, 333 Wire Road and get them microchipped for free (normal fee is $25 at the shelter). Dogs just need to be leashed and cats must be secure in carriers.

The chip, about the size of a grain of rice, is a permanent form of ID, registered to a recovery database that holds pet and owner information. It can be read by a scanner when the pet is found and brought to a shelter, rescue or veterinarian. The chip is inserted between the shoulder blades, and your pet won’t feel a thing. We will even register your information, give you an ID tag and take care of the paperwork. All you have to do is show up with your pet and their proof of rabies vaccination.

For more information about the Oct. 14 Free Aiken County Pet Microchipping Event, please call (803) 642-1537, option 3 or email info@FotasAiken.org.

Their lives are in our hands.

By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

2023, Adoption, Training

Free dog training session helps adopted pets get great start

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
Certified Dog Trainer Karen DeCamp gives a free, one-hour training session to folks who adopt a dog from the Aiken County Animal Shelter.
21
Sep

When you adopt a puppy or dog from the Aiken County Animal Shelter, you receive a free training session for your new pet with Certified Professional Dog Trainer Karen DeCamp. She is the President of the Palmetto Dog Club and works closely with the dogs and FOTAS volunteers at the shelter every week.

Many dogs adopted from the County Animal Shelter do wonderfully right out of the gate. They get to their new home, fit in immediately and –with the minimum of growing pains – go on to live their best life and become a cherished member of the adopter’s family.

But sometimes there are some hiccups to address early on, while the shelter dog is adjusting to their new environment. That’s when DeCamp’s expertise and professional counsel are invaluable.

“It is so important to take time to put oneself in your dog’s place during the adoption experience!” DeCamp explained. “Their life has been turned upside down. First, when they were brought into the noisy, busy shelter environment and, again, when adopted by you. All of a sudden, they live in a new home with a new daily routine with new people and perhaps new animals. Like people, some dogs adapt to change more easily than others.”

In most cases, the training involves showing the adopters standard obedience techniques such as teaching their dog how to: heel and walk well on a leash; stop jumping up on people or furniture; sit on command; or follow proper housebreaking practices. But DeCamp also helps solve more complex behavioral challenges, such as a Welsh Foxhound with confidence issues and a shy, previously abused Staffordshire Terrier who was terrified of men.

In addition to receiving the one-hour training session, adopters are provided with DeCamp’s contact information so they can call and check in with her if they have questions or need additional training advice.

“Just like with people, each dog is an intelligent individual with different strengths and a unique personality,” DeCamp said. “In addition to resulting in a well-behaved companion to live with, obedience training improves your relationship with your new pet by increasing your communication with them.”

The free dog training session is just another benefit FOTAS provides to help ensure the adoption of your new pet is successful and as easy as possible. There are many amazing dogs at the shelter who desperately need homes. Each wonderful canine is just $35. If you are thinking of adding a new pet to your home, please stop by 333 Wire Road in Aiken or go to fotasaiken.org to see all the pets available for adoption.

Their lives are in our hands.

By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

2023, Foster, SOCIAL MEDIA, Volunteers

Power of social media saves Jax and Crystal

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
Aiken stray Crystal (left) and her new sister, Remy, found each other through FOTAS’s social media platforms.
16
Sep

While young, pretty, fluffy dogs at the Aiken County Animal Shelter typically are adopted in short order, less stunning homeless canines with physical imperfections need time and help to get noticed.

Their positive qualities cannot be captured in a photo. Their stories need to be told and the right adopter has to be reached through social media and word of mouth. This requires close teamwork between FOTAS and the shelter, as well as lots of shares and likes on Facebook and Instagram.

Take Jax for example.

Nine-year-old, brown and white, mixed breed Jax arrived at the County Shelter in bad shape. He was starving and looked like a walking skeleton. He also had an old back leg injury, likely from being hit by a car, which caused him to limp. Fly bites had scarred his ears and he was full of fleas. The senior stray had the saddest eyes, but they brightened when people greeted him.

Jax found his forever home thanks to the power of social media and a network of fosters, volunteers and FOTAS friends.
Jax found his forever home thanks to the power of social media and a network of fosters,
volunteers and FOTAS friends.

Terrified at the shelter, Jax needed a calmer environment in which to decompress. Thankfully, FOTAS Volunteer Christine Harmel took Jax home to foster him and his sweet personality began to shine as he gained more confidence under her care.

Over the next month, we posted Jax all over our social media. Still, no one came to visit him. Then his luck changed. Debbie Roland, a local realtor, saw Jax online and shared his photo and story with her uncle Dennis in Pennsylvania. His dog had recently passed away and Jax was just the kind of dog he was looking for! FOTAS arranged Jax’s transport to Dennis and the sweet dog is now living his best life.

“This morning was the first day of school up here, so all the kids were at the bus stop during his morning walk,” Dennis said. “Of course, Jax had to greet every kid.”

Another homeless dog who benefited from social media is Crystal. This three-year-old, white 46-pound mixed breed needed a home with a fenced-in yard. A true gem, Crystal loves other dogs and playing in water. Crystal just has one so-called imperfection. She is deaf.

Even after weeks of posting a myriad of videos and photos of Crystal on social media, no one came to visit her. However, just as we were losing hope of adopting her out, the right person saw Crystal on Instagram. Faye Brothers, a woman with a deaf dog in need of a friend, saw a video of Crystal shared by her daughter. When Faye learned Crystal was deaf, she knew she was the dog for her family. FOTAS arranged Crystal’s travel to Faye’s home in upstate New York and now this amazing stray and her new canine sister, Remy, are besties!

There are other homeless pets at the shelter just like these two special dogs – animals that need extra support and promotion to ensure they get good homes. Please follow FOTAS on Facebook and Instagram and share our posts with your friends. With one click, you just might save a homeless pet’s life.

Their lives are in our hands.

By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

2023, abandoned animals, animal abuse, ANIMAL CRUELTY

You can prevent animal neglect and abuse

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
Senior dog Justice arrived at the shelter with an embedded collar – one of the worst cases the shelter vet staff has witnessed.
15
Sep

Nearly every day we see examples of animal neglect, abuse and cruelty.

Keanu was found tied up with no shelter, no food and no water.
Keanu was found tied up with no shelter, no food and no water.

Dogs arrive at the Aiken County Animal Shelter with such horrors as collars and harnesses embedded in their skin because their owners never replaced them as they grew from puppies to adults. Cats come in with their eyes bulging and covered in pus because their owners didn’t take them to a vet for treatment of upper respiratory infection. Dogs and cats arrive with broken limbs that were never treated, causing them to heal incorrectly and creating lifelong mobility issues. (Sometimes these injuries require amputation.) Then you have the pets that come in with bullet wounds or pellet fragments lodged in their bodies.

Not all of the neglect and abuse is physical. Some of these animals arrive afraid of their own shadow because of the mental abuse they’ve experienced.

Groot was abandoned in an empty trailer.
Groot was abandoned in an empty trailer.

This cruelty needs to stop. But the only way to prevent it is through pet care education and punishment to those who treat their pets horribly. It also requires all of us to be more aware of animal cruelty and promptly report it when we see it. If you witness animal neglect or abuse, please call your local animal control agency as soon as possible. If you live in Aiken County, call (803) 502-9000, extension 3704. Or email enforcement@aikencountysc.gov.

Animal cruelty can be as evil as intentionally hurting or torturing an animal to just improperly feeding or caring for a pet due to ignorance.

To see evidence of past animal abuse and neglect, all you have to do is look at the medical records of some of the shelter’s current residents. There are a number of adoptable dogs at the shelter who have endured the cruel actions of humans, including:

Carson – This gentle mixed breed arrived with a severe head wound. He may have been hit by a blunt instrument. Six-year-old Carson is a cuddle bug loved by our volunteers.

Groot – Abandoned in a trailer, four-year-old Groot was skin and bones when a County Animal Code Enforcement officer rescued him. Since being at the shelter, he has learned to play with other dogs and developed into a confident pup.

Poor Parker arrived at the shelter with an embedded harness that had to be surgically removed from his skin.
Poor Parker arrived at the shelter with an embedded harness that had to be surgically removed from his skin.

Justice – This poor senior dog arrived with one of the worst embedded collars our vet has ever seen. Justice is so sweet and looking for a forever home.

Keanu & Keiki – These two-year-old siblings were tied up their entire lives and found without shelter, food or water. Good Samaritans called and reported the situation and now the dogs are healthy and looking for good homes.

Parker – This wonderful three-year-old mixed breed was found with an embedded harness. Now healed, Parker is playful and affectionate but would do best as an only pet.

Amazingly, all of these dogs have remained sweet and loving. They will make wonderful pets! Please come visit them at 333 Wire Road in Aiken, SC.

Their lives are in our hands.

By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

By the Numbers: The Aiken County Animal Shelter received 379 Aiken County animals during the month of August, bringing the total to 3299 Aiken County animals so far this year.

2023, Foster, fostering

Sharing the Love

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
Fosters get a drop off hug from Shana
30
Aug

My camera roll is full of videos and pictures of many puppies and dogs who have visited my life. These dogs may be in my backyard or in the den. They might be chasing a ball, or squeaking a toy, or finding the perfect patch of sun to lie down. The puppies are probably rolling all over each other or nipping each other’s ears. There are pictures of sleeping pups and videos of snoring ones.

Foster giving his sweet puppy eyes
Foster giving his sweet puppy eyes

I cannot adopt another dog right now despite the fact the shelter is overloaded with so many animals. But, I can do the next best thing and foster one! The Aiken County Animal Shelter’s fostering program gives me the benefits of having another dog (loud tail, cute ears, funny noises) without the physical and financial burden.

I have enjoyed fostering for years. It is so rewarding, but on occasion, I may need some help logistically. I recently unlocked the game changer- becoming a “co-foster!” My mother and I both enjoy fostering puppies and dogs, but our schedules may have conflicts with the foster needs. Multiple friends also want to foster, but only for a night or two.

Now, with this setup, we communicate with each other about our available days and nights. The dog may start their week with me. When planned, I drive the dog (and their stuff!) to my mother’s or friend’s. The foster ends their week in another safe home.

Since I have heard many of the same fostering questions, I want to share the basics:

    • All fostering supplies are provided: crate, food, bed, and toys.
    • Fostering is short term. You’ll receive a text or email asking for available fosters. Look at your calendar. Can you fit it in for the next 3 nights? A week? Great! No pressure if you are busy – maybe next time?!
    • Having a foster is low key. You do not need to implement a training regime. These animals need a safe, soft place to land. Their crate in your quiet(ish) home is perfect.
    • When an animal is in your care, you have support of the shelter staff and foster coordinator. I have texted with questions or concerns many, many times.
    • You may fall in love. It happens. I remind myself: The foster pups are here to learn about a safe home and build confidence. I am here to love them temporarily, so they can find forever love next.

Co-fostering is win-win for the dog and for both of us fostering. The dog continues to get more comfortable (and, thereby, more adoptable) in a home environment. And, we are both able to enjoy time with a foster dog without changing any of our plans.

Find a friend or a family and say, “let’s try it”. You can share the scheduling load.

Then, at the end of the week, y’all can share loads of sweet pictures and funny videos.

Chat about fostering. Sharing a volunteer task with a friend can be so much fun. These animals desperately need us to work together. Their lives are in our hands

By Shana K Ryberg, Foster Volunteer