- To be honest, you DO get attached. Even when you tell yourself, “I will not get attached.” This animal is NOT staying forever, this is a stop-over in their life and then they will move on…no big deal. I have said this too many times. Now I don’t even try to kid myself. I cry as each one moves on, but at the same time I celebrate the fact that without the benefit of being fostered, this animal would very likely be in a plastic bag in the county landfill. The facts are about 2 to 3 out of every 10 animals (depending on the time of year) that go into shelters get adopted. This unfortunately means that 7 – 8 out of 10 are put to death. Every animal fostered, is a life you save. A life you enrich and a bond you help make possible between that animal and its new family when it is adopted out. When I hear from people who now call dogs or cats I have fostered part of their family and they tell me how happy they are and how much they love their new family member, I am overjoyed that I was able to save that pet for them.
- No, fostering is not easy. It requires time, patience and a whole lot of love. If it were easy, everyone who cared for animals would foster. Letting an animal that you bonded with, loved and cared for move on to go off to a family is very difficult. You know that the family had a great application. You are confident that your foster pet is happy with their new humans. You know that pet will have many, many years of happiness and give it back to their new family ten fold. Still, it is hard. These furry creatures manage to twist themselves around your heart and even when they move on a part of them stays with you…forever.
Read some of our Foster Stories.
Interested in becoming a Foster? Complete a Foster Application to begin the process. This is not a contract, and does not lock you into fostering an animal for us. Nor does it guarantee you a foster animal. After you discuss fostering with a JCAPL representative (and discuss the specific animals in need of a foster home), if there is an animal you are interesting in fostering, you will then be asked to review and sign the Foster Guidelines and Contract.
"My name is Coffee. I am beautiful, dark brown, neutered Lab mix puppy. JCAPL rescued me from a local shelter. While I was there, I had surgery to repair my Cherry Eye, which as you can see did NOT work. The great vets at Clayton Animal Hospital can repair my eye but JCAPL needs some help raising the funds for the surgery. Can you help me? Once my eye is all better, I can be on my way to finding my furever home! Please help if you can and share me with your friends. You never know who might be able to donate a little something to help me. Donations can be made at Clayton Animal Hospital or they can also be mailed to JCAPL, P.O. Box 607, Smithfield, NC 27577. You can also give donations to our volunteers at any adoption event. JCAPL will gladly give you a donation receipt."
