SEATTLE - If you're interested in becoming a foster "parent" for sick or immature cats and kittens from the Seattle Animal Shelter, plan to attend a free orientation session Saturday, Oct. 6, beginning at noon. The 90-minute session will be held in the shelter's conference room located on the shelter's upper level at 2061 15th Ave. W.
Those who attend an orientation session are under no obligation to foster an animal. The orientations are just the first step in the process. Each prospective foster parent is provided with a foster-care manual and a "consultant" who provides advice and answers questions.
The Seattle Animal Shelter relies on volunteers to provide temporary foster care in their homes to rehabilitate and nurture sick, injured and immature cats and kittens that would otherwise be euthanized. The shelter pays for preapproved veterinary care.
"As we celebrate our 35th anniversary this year, we are reversing a trend and saving more lives. As recently as 1998, the number of animals we had to euthanize was twice the number of adoptions. Last year we had more than twice as many adoptions as euthanasias. A lot of the credit for this reversal goes to the foster parents. They open their hearts and homes to these animals to get them ready for adoption. We really appreciate their efforts," says shelter director Don Jordan.
The shelter's Help the Animals Fund subsidizes the costs associated with the foster care program.
"Volunteers have told us this is a perfect project for the whole family and gives families an opportunity to teach their children about the responsibilities of having an animal without making a long-term commitment," Jordan says. "The rewards and satisfaction are high."
For more information or additional directions, call 386-PETS.[[In-content Ad]]
