On Deaf Ears

TIME FOR CITY OFFICIALS TO HELP ‘FIX FRONT STREET’

Tahoe Park resident Lynn Bishop joined dozens of other dog lovers last year answering a call from the city’s Front Street Animal Shelter. Foster a dog for the holidays.

Approximately 60 cars lined up for drive-through fostering. “It was like an assembly line,” says Bishop, who took home Roscoe, a 6-year-old unneutered chihuahua mix brought to the shelter as a stray.

On any given day, as many as 345 dogs are fostered through Front Street. Many are not spayed or neutered.

“It’s a lot of animals in foster care,” says Front Street Manager Phillip Zimmerman. “Unfortunately, when you have that many animals in foster care, there’s a lot of work that goes along with it.”

Tracking those dogs falls on one full-time employee. A part-time intern and off-site volunteer assist.

The job should include ensuring the dog is the right fit for the home. Is he the correct size, breed, age and energy level for the foster family?

Is the home clean and safe, fenced and gated? Does the foster parent understand the time commitment for potty training, socializing, exercising and veterinary visits? What about providing personality information for website listings and social media, and taking the dog to adoption events?