A Piece of Home: Fostering Animals in the Burlington Community
Sam spends her days like many college students: going to class, grabbing coffee, and spending time with friends. When she goes back to her apartment, however, she’s greeted by her cat, Marb, and reminded of her childhood home.
“My whole life I’ve had a cat, so when I first came to college it was weird not coming home to a pet. Having a little kitten to come home to after class really improves my overall mood,” she said.
Marb is not really Sam’s cat; Sam is fostering Marb from the Burlington Animal Shelter, an animal service that has been established in the Burlington community since the 1960s.
Manager Elizabeth Overcash explained how the shelter has evolved from its establishment.
“Prior to 2015, Burlington Animal Services was euthanizing over half of the animals who entered our facility; however, with hard work and changes to follow best practices, we were able to achieve a 90% live release rate in 2018, which we intend to maintain or improve.”
The foster program is a great contributor to this improvement.
“A shelter isn’t an ideal place for any animal to live,” Sam said. “I’m happy to help out.”
Fostering a cat can come with challenges. While the foster process is relatively simple, it can be difficult helping rescue cats adjust to a new space.
According to Sam, the first week of fostering Marb was “really stressful.”
“She was sick and I didn’t feel like I was home enough. It was also stressful because cats usually act out their first few days home,” she said.
But, fostering certainly comes with its benefits too. “My kitten has learned to really like me and she sleeps in my bed and we cuddle every night. I never really feel completely alone when she’s around,” Sam explained.
Overcash sees the potential for these kinds of connections every day at the shelter.
“The most rewarding part of the job is helping people and pets unite, either through adoptions, where pets find new homes, or by returning a lost dog or cat to his/her owner. Both the pets and the people are so happy to connect with one another.”
While fostering is only temporary, it is an extremely important part of the adoption process. If an animal is not fostered, it remains in the animal shelter until it is adopted.
This is currently a problem for the Burlington community, as Overcash reported that the “current [animal shelter] facility is outdated. It was not built with best practices and humane care in mind, so it does not adequately serve either our animals or our community.”
While the shelter is preparing to move to a new facility “that does address the needs of the animals and better serves the community” in the near future, it still needs the help of community members like Sam to give animals a temporary home while they await a loving family to take them in permanently.
If you are considering fostering a cat but are nervous about the process, it may be simpler than you think.
“An individual must simply fill out a foster application, then he/she can visit our animals and see if there is one here who might be a good fit for the foster home,” Oevercash said. “We provide all of the food and veterinary care for the foster animal. All we ask is that the foster provides a safe home and helps us find an adopter for the animal by keeping us updated with current photos and information.”
“I’m actually considering adopting Marb,” says Sam, who’s found a new friend to remind her of the comforts of home.