Foster parents needed to help with animals in need

Posted 6/9/21

Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League and Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control (PBCACC) are in desperate need of more foster parents.

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Foster parents needed to help with animals in need

Posted

WEST PALM BEACH — June is National Foster a Pet Month! What a perfect time to give back to those in need! Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League and Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control (PBCACC) are in desperate need of more foster parents. Foster parents provide temporary housing, care, and love for a dog, cat, puppy, or kitten until they are ready for a home.

Currently, Peggy Adams has 936 animals in its care, and Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control has 300+ animals. To save more lives of animals in need, both organizations are looking to add roughly 100 additional foster homes to their individual programs. Both organizations have seen an approximate 40% increase in kitten intake in 2021.

“For those who want to make a difference and save the lives of animals right here in Palm Beach County, becoming a foster volunteer is truly one of the best things you can do,” said Rich Anderson, Executive Director/CEO of Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League. “There’s a great need for foster homes, especially with kitten season here in South Florida. Peggy Adams’ neonatal Kitten Nursery, which provides round-the-clock care for kitten newborns, has been a tremendous success. This also means we need more temporary foster homes for the kittens before they are ready to go to their forever home,” Rich Anderson adds.

The Foster Program aims to help as many animals as possible by providing temporary homes. Some animals are newborns, pregnant or nursing, sick, injured, under-socialized, or animals that do poorly in a shelter environment. Both organizations simply don’t have enough space to house them; however, they can help hundreds of animals who need extra care or special attention with the help of dedicated Foster Volunteers.

For those interested in becoming a foster volunteer, below is a list of vital information to consider:

• A Foster Volunteer provides a temporary home for dogs (primarily large breeds), cats, puppies, or kittens until they are ready for adoption. Although fostering requires dedication and commitment, a foster volunteer can help Peggy Adams and PBCACC by providing a loving home to an animal in need for a short-term period of time. Both shelters always have a demand for foster homes throughout the year.

• Peggy Adams and PBCACC will provide all of the supplies you will need to care for the foster animal. This includes medications, follow-up veterinary visits, food, litter, bedding, bowls, crates, collars, and leashes. Foster volunteers are responsible for transportation to and from the shelter for check-ups and medical care.

• Foster volunteers must be at least 18 years old OR have an adult in the household who will be the primary caregiver. Caregivers must be able to separate the foster animal(s) from their own animal(s) for 14 days since many foster pets have limited immunity. All dogs must be kept on a leash or supervised in an enclosed area when outside. Cats and kittens must be kept inside at all times

• Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League and Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control give student community service hours for fostering, but must buddy up with a parent as the primary caregiver.

• NOTES: (1) The Foster Program and other animal-facing roles are not available to those seeking to fulfill court-appointed hours. No exceptions. (2) PBCACC requires that if fosters have other pets in the household, they must be up to date with rabies vaccines and county tags.

To learn more about Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League’s Foster Program, please visit: PeggyAdams.org/Foster

To learn more about Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control’s Foster Program, please visit https://discover.pbcgov.org/publicsafety/animalcare/pages/foster.aspx

animal rescue, PBCACC, foster parents, dog, cat, puppy, kitten

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