Calling all pet lovers…. DO YOU have some room in ?your heart and home to help us save lives?
Our shelter is always in desperate need of loving foster families for pets that come to our shelter.
Many have been rescued from the gas chambers in the South.?If you are NOT familiar with the use of Gas Chambers – please educate yourself and learn more by clicking on this link?
Sadly in 2017 shelters in the South are still killing beautiful, healthy, adoptable dogs/cats and even PUPPIES AND KITTENS!!!! We simply can not accept this, and we KNOW our adopters and supporters can not either. Now, when these shelters contact us…if they can get these babies (with or without moms) to our shelter we WILL do our best to take them. We WILL commit to saving their lives and we WILL find loving foster homes to provide the TLC and help us foster them until they are old enough to be spayed/neutered and found loving lifelong homes here in the safe haven of our shelter. But we can’t do it all – we do need YOUR help…
Our pets may need to be fostered for a variety of reasons. Some are too young for adoption, some need a home in which to?recover after a medical procedure, some are pregnant or nursing, and some need more socialization.?Foster families provide the love and stability these animals need to be happy and healthy, both mentally and physically. When an animal has been in a foster home, it is more confident and social; therefore it transitions into its new home with ease!
To foster simply fill out a?FOSTER APPLICATION?AND RETURN IT TO THE SHELTER
????????? EMAIL?to?STAFF@STERLINGSHELTER.ORG?
????????? FAX?TO 978-422-8574
????????? SNAIL MAIL?- ANIMAL SHELTER INC – 17 LAURELWOOD ROAD – STERLING – MA – 01564 ATTN: FOSTER COORDINATOR
Foster homes are critically important because they provide more room at the shelter;?therefore we can help more animals. We have a limit to the number of animals we can house at the shelter and unfortunately we are NOT set up to care for animals in need of special situations?. When foster families take in animals,?they are also helping other animals by opening up a space for another needy animal.?There are many animals in need, so the more animals we can take in the more lives we can save!
CURRENTLY WE ARE NEED OF FOSTERS FOR Moms with babies and litters of puppies WITHOUT moms:?New moms, both cats and dogs, are always in need of quiet and relaxing foster homes. Our shelter environment can be very stressful for them. Just like humans who’ve recently had a baby….we need the ability to recover from the birth, lack of sleep, nursing and exhaustion. Now imagine 5 or 10 or 12 babies you’re trying to care for in a loud kennel? Barking dogs, different smells, lots of people visiting and starring at you through a kennel gate? Fostering a PREGNANT MOM or MOM with new babies is typically ?an easy foster, as mom does all the work! The babies are nursing for the first month and mom keeps them pretty darn clean and oh so cute! The moms (dog or cat) simply?need a nice, warm, safe, quiet place and someone to take the MOMMA dogs outside throughout the day for potty breaks and just to exercise her legs before returning to her nursing babies ?- Cat MOMS simply use the litterbox…. essentially cat or dog mom’s simply?need a quiet place to raise their babies.
How long will I be fostering an animal??Generally, the foster time period ranges from 1-8 weeks. The time period can vary, depending on the needs of the pet/s going to foster.
Who could I be fostering??Orphaned puppies and kittens: We send orphaned puppies and kittens to foster homes when they are too young to be spayed or neutered.?This is where they will receive the TLC?and socialization that is so important in these early months. They are sent out in pairs or groups because it is very important for these little ones to have the company of their siblings.
Pregnant moms:?Occasionally we get adult dogs and cats that are pregnant. Our shelter environment can sometimes be stressful for these expectant moms and it is very important for them to have a temporary place to relax, be comfortable and have their babies.
Adult dogs or cats in need of socialization:?Some adult dogs and cats may need more specialized attention than we can realistically provide at the shelter. They may just be scared, shy or lack certain social skills. A couple of weeks in a loving home helps their self esteem and gives them the confidence they need to find a good home during their time with the Sterling Shelter.
Dogs or cats being treated for medical reasons:?When we have dogs or cats who are being treated medically and are not ready to go up for adoption yet, they need a caring foster home to help them recuperate. When they are fully recovered, they will be ready to return to our shelter and find their forever families.
Meet June – she and her babies were literally due to be euthanized just last week if they couldn’t find a rescue group to take them!?How sad to think in this day and age, these beautiful babies and their loving mom were going to the gas chamber to be killed because NO ONE would step up and say “I’ll help them!” WELL WE DID….and now June and her babies are safe and sound with a loving FOSTER family…. oxoxox
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Currently – JUNE – a beautiful, sweet yellow lab mix – and her 10 (4) week old puppies are in a loving foster family here in MA….
