Bring a Foster Pet Home Before the Holidays

by Stephanie Feldstein · 2009-12-12 08:00:00 UTC
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The book and TV movie A Dog Named Christmas have spurred a national campaign encouraging people to take in foster animals over the week between Christmas and the New Year. The "Foster a Lonely Pet" project is a great idea, but unless you're also a very lonely human, odds are that your life isn't business as usual that week. For many of the same reasons that pets shouldn't be given as gifts during the holidays, it's also not the ideal time to bring a temporary resident into your home ... so instead of fostering for that one week, why not make it two?

If you start fostering now, your houseguest will get to be a part of your regular routine. It provides sense of stability for the animal and, if you're considering a new addition to your pack anytime soon, it gives you sense of how a new dog or cat may fit into your life. Remember to keep an extra close eye on your foster pet around holiday hazards. Your pets may be used to your decorations and extra dinner guests, but it may be an entirely new experience for your foster animal. That's one of the big advantages to starting now: you can start teaching your four-legged guest the do's and don't's around the house before the festivities are in full swing.

If you've never fostered before, it's a truly rewarding experience. Not only are you giving the dog or cat a break from the shelter, but you're also helping to train them on being part of a family again, which makes them more adoptable. Here are a few tips on fostering and, the hard part, how to say goodbye when it's time for adoption.

Ready to open your home for the holiday season? Petfinder has a list of shelters and rescue groups in your area who have signed on the to the "Foster a Lonely Pet" project.

If you don't have the time or space to bring an animal into your home, but you still want to help, contact your local shelter about volunteering. Shelters are usually closed on the holidays, but the staff is still there to take care of everyone, and the dogs and cats would love the gift of a little extra attention.

Photo credit: Lisa Sanderson

Stephanie Feldstein is a Change.org Editor who has been part of the animal welfare and rescue community for over a decade, and most recently worked for an environmental organization.
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