PETS PACKAGE
Home
is Where the Pet Is
Story by Nidia Tores | Photos by Casey Rothgeb | Design by Krista Kok
From dogs and cats to parrots and bunnies, the variety of pets you can foster can be endless. If you are dedicated to fostering, you might find it an experience worth having. The opportunity to foster pets might open your eyes to the world many animals lived in before being brought into the shelter or pound. It’s up to you to decide how far you’ll go to help them live a better life. If you want to experience the satisfaction, consider giving pet-fostering a chance — you won’t regret it. Before you get ahead of yourself, it might be helpful to know what exactly fostering entails.
How Fostering Works Pet-fostering has become a necessity for abandoned pets to survive and find a loving home according to Mari Ann Pratt-Eierman, a foster pet-parent of three years. Depending on the pet’s needs and circumstances, they can remain in the foster care system
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for any given amount of time. According to Pratt-Eierman, foster pet-parents are responsible for making sure their pet is adapting to its new surroundings, giving them a positive environment, providing vet care and most importantly, loving them until they find their forever home. “Your job is to basically open your home to these animals and provide them a safe, nurturing place so that they can heal whatever wounds, whether they’re mental or physical,” says Pratt-Eierman, “Then once they are considered what I call a ‘balanced dog’ they are ready for their permanent family.” One thing you may not have known about pet-fostering is that the pet-parent plays a key role in determining which family is a perfect match for the pet. Foster pet-parents bond with their pets to find out how pets can fit in with their family. Pratt-Eierman, who’s fostered over 30 pets in the last two years with the Seattle Purebred Dog Rescue and MustLuvBoxers Rescue, says she’s learned pets can be as much work as children. “They’re like sponges; they want to be loved, they want a nap, they want toys, they want a bed
