The power of one (foster)

By now, most local animal lovers are aware of the tremendous number of homeless animals in Baton Rouge. But far too few realize they personally have the power to solve the problem by making the difference in the life of just one animal. And, they can do it from the comfort of their own homes.

As a municipal, taxpayer-funded facility, the East Baton Rouge Parish Animal Shelter is obligated to accept all stray animals plucked from city streets as well as those dumped at the doorstep by their owners for any reason whatsoever. Each month, approximately 800 animals enter the shelter, which has the capacity of 400.

With the help of committed and aggressive rescue organizations and the heroic efforts of its own staff, Companion Animal Alliance (the shelter’s manager since August 2011) has decreased its euthanasia rate from 80% to 50%.

All these non-profits could save more lives if they had more resources. So, they are appealing as never before for unaffiliated animals lovers to become part of the solution.

As always, monetary donations and a commitment to volunteer on regular basis are always sincerely appreciated. Yet, the most pressing need of all rescues is foster homes. In fact, by one estimate, if even one out of every 75 Baton Rougeans would volunteer to foster or adopt a single shelter animal, the euthanasia rate could immediately decrease to less than 10%.

By taking one animal out of the shelter environment to find a new home, each foster is saving at least two lives: that of the pet lucky enough to come home and at least one other animal, who can now move into the open kennel space.

Furthermore, as companion animals, most cats and dogs crave human attention and interaction. The longer they are incarcerated in a shelter, the more likely they are to get sick, depressed, stressed, anti-social and a collection of neuroses known as the kennel crazies.

Besides participating in their household’s daily routine, foster pets are exposed to people of varying ages and personalities and taught house manners, which make them infinitely more adoptable. They are also more likely to find forever homes quickly because of their introduction—either in person or through social media—to the friends, relatives, colleagues, dog park buddies and other qualified adopters.

Even if the arrangement is short-term, it can provide some valuable information that contributes to faster adoption.

For example, because there are so many, a black dog at the shelter may be invisible to adopters. “The most common questions we get from adopters are: Is she good with other dogs, children or cats? Is she housebroken?” says Paula Shaw, CAA programs and services manager. “If the dog has been living in a cage, we don’t know. So, the adopters walk past the dog.”

However, if a foster brings that dog to an offsite adoption event, that same animal is seen in a different context. She’s not just another black dog in a cage. She has a name and a personality that can be described to intrigue potential adopters. Suddenly, she stands out and has a much better chance of finding a new home.

As if saving lives weren’t enough incentive to consider fostering, local shelters and rescues pay for foster animals’ food, vet care and other essentials. Rescues are also delighted to indulge preferences with regard to breed, size or age—whether it’s a penchant for Persians or a love of Labradors. They also offer fosters support to help solve any issues that may arise. Most groups have also created a slew of new options, that give fosters more flexibility in whom and how long they house an animal.

For example, besides recruiting fosters to care for healthy dogs, cats, kittens and puppies, CAA is now recruiting a specialized corps to house these very adoptable animals:

Orphaned Puppies & Kittens: Abandoned by their mothers for a variety of reasons, these are newborns have no teeth; their eyes and ears may not be open. And, they certainly have no chance of surviving in a busy, crowded shelter. While they are adorable to say the least, these tiny, delicate babies require bottle feedings every two hours and other specialized care, so the staff provides individualized training for fosters before the puppies or kittens leave the shelter.

Emergency Cases Overnight: Sometimes, the shelter receives a baby animal or even an older one, who may be adoptable but too fragile to tolerate the shelter environment immediately. So, the staff is developing a list of foster to call to house an animal for 24 to 48 hours—just until other arrangements can be made.

Transports: CAA has now sent more than 500 animals to other parts of the country for adoption. When rescues commit to taking individual animals, those pets are usually spayed/neutered before they leave the city. So, they need a place to recover for a few days. Before the larger, long-distance transports leave, animals must be quarantined for two weeks to make sure they show no signs of illness.

Spay/Neuter Recoveries: To avoid infection and decrease stress, animals who are newly spayed/neutered need to recover in a quiet home environment. Most of these animals stay for about a week.

Nursing Mothers & Babies: This task is best taken on by individuals without animals of their own, such as college students. The reason is nursing mothers are very protective of their babies and can get aggressive. Likewise, the animals in the home may be protective of their territory. There are exceptions to the rule. Also, once the babies are weaned, they—or the mom—can be moved into different foster homes.

Owner Surrenders: Although the shelter environment is tough on any animal, owner surrendered animals—particularly those who lived indoors with a family—become the critically stressed due to the drastic change in their lives. These pets are usually easy to keep because they already have house manners and enjoy interacting with people.

Besides taking excellent care of each animal inside their homes and notifying CAA if problems arise, fosters are responsible for transporting their fosters to vet appointment and two adoption events a month. In addition, the foster’s own pets must be up-to-date on their vaccinations. In most cases, CAA requests foster families plan to house the shelter pet until that animal is permanently adopted. That interval can range wildly from a few days to a few months.

However, recognizing each pet and family is different, staff members works to assure the foster situation is working out for all involved. In fact, the greatest risk is foster failure because often the attachment fosters form to the pet leads to adoption.

If another family adopts the animal, “It’s the most rewarding thing ever,” Shaw says. “You get Christmas cards, updates and sometimes even wedding photos with the pets from the new owner, saying this animal is the best thing that’s ever happened to them. It’s great to know you had a hand in giving another family so much joy.”

Fosters can take heart that with every adoption comes the opportunity to help another shelter animal.

To see some of the animals available to be fostered from CAA, click here.