Last year brought an influx of first-time pet adopters, which isn’t a surprise considering pets are natural healers and 2020 was a tough year. Janet Testerman, CEO of Young-Williams Animal Center, says people have always been willing to step up in a crisis, but the needs of homeless animals don’t stop when the crisis wanes.
If you’re feeling the pull to help but don’t know where to start, Janet has three suggestions: adopt a senior pet, become a foster family to an animal in need, or make a donation to the Pet Resource Center.
Adopt a Senior Pet
Senior pets - generally seven years or older - are often the last ones to be adopted. The cuteness and sweetness of a puppy or kitten are indisputable, but it’s actually the senior dog or cat who is already trained, is more mellow, and has an established behavior. Plus, a senior pet, in the right circumstances, still has spunk and a good life to live.
“Come in with an open mind,” says Janet. “Animals usually pick us rather than us picking them. We never know what kind of population we’re going to get in, so it’s not very predictable, but we’ll always have seniors. They have a longer length of stay than our younger ones, but we want to get them out as quickly as possible for a better quality of life for them.”
Become a Foster
Some of the common barriers to becoming a foster family to animals in need include financial unknowns, concerns about being over-committed, and getting emotionally attached. These are all fair concerns, according to Janet, who admits they do have “foster failures” - folks who decide to keep the animals they initially agreed to foster. However, Young-Williams has a system in place to provide all the supplies the animal needs, and the need for foster families continues to grow.
“Shelters are a high-stress environment, so having animals in foster care helps them build trust and learn manners,” she says. “We have a temporary boarding program called Animal Haven for animals who come in and have owners, but their owners have hit a life crisis, like housing transition, a medical emergency, or animals who come from neglect and abuse. These animals, through no fault of their own, don’t need to be in a kennel or shelter. In that way, fostering can be a life-saving initiative.”
Make a Financial or Supply Donation
Last year, Young-Williams gave away more than 17,000 pounds of dog food to pet owners in the community experiencing financial hardship. The Pet Resource Center is designed for that - to help people keep their animals despite food and acute medical needs. This year, however, one of the bigger issues in the community is housing, or rather limitations with housing, which means many families are choosing to surrender their pets.
“Generally, we take in about 9,500 animals a year, but in June, we took in 1,100 animals,” says Janet. “Our Pet Resource Center is tracking that information, and housing seems to be one of the biggest reasons - moving into housing that isn’t pet-friendly, moving in with relatives.”
A donation to the Pet Resource Center helps support community pet owners who want to keep their animals and help surrendered animals get re-homed.
Learn more at Young-Williams.org