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All About Fostering!

We are always looking for good foster care homes, recruiting new homes is something we have to do each year.  Fostering an animal in need is one of the most rewarding things you can do and it is the most helpful program we have. 
What is the foster program?  People often don’t understand what it means to foster and they are afraid of the commitment.  In the foster program the foster volunteer gets to decide the kind of animal they want to foster and how long they can handle the foster.  So you can choose what you want your fostering experience to be.
On top of being in control of your experience we can provide you with food and supplies if you need them.  If you are fostering kittens, all they need is a small room or bathroom to live in until they are old enough to be fixed and have received all their shots.
If you are fostering puppies, we can provide you with a crate for them to live in.  This is a way for us to try to keep them safe from the terrible viruses that are near impossible to get rid of that we see in our old, decaying shelter.  
Fostering an adult dog or cat is something we need help with a couple times a year due to our overcrowding circumstances.  We will put out pleas on the internet, in the media and on facebook.  This is usually a commitment of only a few weeks and we find the right match for your family.   Let us warn you about this type of foster because people often fall in love and adopt their foster.
 Our newest program in the foster arena is the Foster to Adopt.  Yes, we now offer this unique service to qualified families to foster or try out a dog in their home if they are unsure of making the adoption plunge.  This new feature came after the wonderful “Home for the Holiday” promotion when we found out just how much people enjoyed being given the chance to try it out with no consequence.   This may sound a bit flip but it is like the car salesmen saying “here take the car for the weekend and see how you like it.”  We are doing the same thing in hopes that people like the pet and keep the pet. 
Over all our foster program is about trusting the community with our precious animals and asking for help when it is needed.  Please consider giving a tiny kitten, a gregarious puppy or an adult dog or cat in need, a chance in your home.  The foster program allows us to save lives and not have to euthanize when space gets tight because we are moving them out into your homes or businesses! Yes your business or office can foster, ask Dominion Seven Architects and Dawson Ford Darbee, Realtors about their experiences.  Their clients loved it! 
So contact bethsw@lynchburghumane.org
or go  out to the website under “get involved” and sign up today and we will call you when we have a need. 

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