Maddie’s® Foster Express Challenge called on participating shelters to focus on short-term fostering to help get more dogs and cats out of the shelter during the hectic holiday season, get them more exposure and attract new foster caregivers. Short-term fostering for the challenge was defined as stays in foster care of more than two hours… Learn More
Many shelters and rescues have seen an unprecedented number of pets go into foster homes recently thanks to emergency foster initiatives. Now that these pets are in foster, it’s time to take the next step: getting them adopted. With the need for social distancing, social media is more important than ever. Volunteers, many of whom won’t be able to visit your building as regularly… Learn More
Emergency foster initiatives in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in more shelter pets placed in foster care than ever before. Shelters in cities like Detroit, Kansas City and Norfolk have cleared their kennels with help from foster caregivers in their communities. Now that the pets are in temporary homes, we need to take the next step: moving them from foster… Learn More
Emergency foster care has definitely become a lifeline to many animal shelters as the COVID-19 virus changes how we live our lives. The situation changes on a daily basis (if not hourly), and we know it’s overwhelming to keep up. If there is a silver lining to all of this, it’s that more pets are… Learn More
Emergency foster care is a critical tool for organizations in crisis. It can increase an organization’s capacity, reduce strain on staff and help them better care for animals. It can be implemented by organizations in crisis and by those helping these organizations. Whether you’re a government shelter or a rescue organization, emergency foster care can… Learn More
It may be cold in many parts of the country, but before you know it, spring will have sprung and kitten season will be in full swing. Get ready for those felines now with these resources. This post originally ran in April 2019. Kitten season has already arrived for some of you, so we wanted to… Learn More
Did you know that if just 2% of pet-owning households would foster one pet a year, we would end unnecessary euthanasia tomorrow? Susanne Kogut, president of the Petco Foundation, shared this statistic in November, and it’s part of what inspired Irene Chansawang to take the leap into foster field trips this past holiday season. Chansawang… Learn More
Stephanie Jackson was still fairly new to foster coordination when she arrived in Austin, TX for Maddie’s® Medium and Large Adult Dog Foster Apprenticeship in early 2017. She spent the next few days learning everything she could from her instructors and her peers. “When I was in Austin, I learned how to place medium to… Learn More
When Michael Ezzo, co-founder of Resilient Hearts Animal Sanctuary (RHAS), attended Maddie’s® Medium and Large Adult Dog Foster Apprenticeship in October, he never imagined how much it would change his organization. And, how quickly that change would happen. “My partners were fully prepped on me coming home with ideas, but they never imagined how much… Learn More
Have you been following #FosterExpressChallenge on social media? We’re just over two weeks into the challenge and we’re so excited by the stories and posts we’ve seen from both organizations and foster caregivers! From snuggling by the fire to having fun with some kiddos and happy adoption stories, here are just few to help inspire… Learn More