By Anna Reinalda | Posted August 29, 2024
SAVE animal shelter in Skillman is desperate for foster parents, executive director Heather Achenbach told the Montgomery Business Association (MBA) during a summer gathering titled, Pets and You - Better Together.
Heather Achenback, the executive director of SAVE Animal Shelter in Skillman, with two of her favorite pups.
Achenbach noted the symbiotic relationship SAVE has with numerous Montgomery businesses, from pet supply stores, to veterinary offices, to dog trainers and day cares. “It’s not hard to care for your pet in this community.”
In spite of this, SAVE is struggling. After the surge of adoptions seen during the early days of the COVID lockdown, the pendulum now swings the other way, hitting dog adoptions especially hard. “Dog [adoptions] have been stalled for two years,” Achenbach told the MBA. “Even the most adoptable animals that are good with adults, children, dogs, cats, and are house trained; they are not leaving the shelter.”
The spike in pet adoptions during the pandemic has had two impacts. First, everyone who wanted a pet now has one. But second, and worse, some of the pets that were adopted during COVID have been returned to shelters as people transition back to traveling more and working away from home. Achenbach says the demand for dogs in the early days of COVID was so high that shelters could not keep up, and many pet seekers purchased dogs from breeders instead, particularly zeroing in on the “doodle” breeds, which are supposed to be hypoallergenic. Now, there are more doodles in the shelter than ever before.
While an increase in adoptions would be great, Achenbach is calling on the community to step forward to provide foster homes for dogs. “We have amazing dogs,” she says. “Just take them home temporarily. It helps us with space and allows us to bring in more dogs that need help.”
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Fostering a dog has benefits beyond simply vacating kennels in the shelter. When a dog goes to the foster home, it becomes more adoptable. Many dogs experience anxiety in the shelter that might make them seem less friendly, but are perfectly relaxed at home. It helps them to socialize and acclimate to a home environment. It could also uncover some unknowns about the dog, like potential medical or behavioral needs. That said, it’s a worthwhile experience for so many people.
Achenbach has worked with foster parents who lost their pets, and aren’t quite ready to fully commit to a new pet, but would like an animal in the house. She also says very short term fosters, for example “weekender” fosters, are still helpful to the shelter, while allowing busy people an opportunity to get their animal fix.
The process for becoming a pet foster involves a mild screening, where the applicant describes their home life. No referrals or home visits are required. SAVE provides all the supplies and services a foster parent would need, including food, toys, and veterinary care. “When your first foster dog or cat goes to their forever home, it is the most bittersweet experience you can possibly imagine,” says Achenbach. “The only cost is your heart.”
Visit SAVE to learn more.
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