Top 10 Reasons to Foster an Animal: #3

Reason #3: Whenever a new foster home comes on board with a rescue, it does much more than simply make space for another desperate critter. It instantly puts that animal and that rescue in touch with a whole new social network. Let me explain.

When I began fostering and volunteering with CBBR and Hyde Park Cats--as you well know--I started blabbing about it to my friends and family. In person and on social media I was sharing stories about what I was up to. When people visited my house (and especially if they stayed in the "guest" room) they inevitably met our foster dogs or cats. Countless people have been sensitized to the plight of alley cats and confronted with that wonderful moment of cognitive dissonance as I tell them that the mushy snuggle machine on my sofa is in fact a "scary" pit bull. Some of our friends have gone on to foster themselves, and a few have even adoped a dog or cat through the groups we work with. (Shout outs to the families of Answer, Sophie, Orson, Pirate, Tish Face, Pixie, and Feathers who each met their future friend through us, and to all of our friends and family who got radicalized for the cause and now foster, volunteer, or educate others.)

In short, rescues are their volunteer base. And when you get involved, you can increase that reach exponentially. More people who care = better lives for cats and dogs.

Pictured: My awesome mom, Niki, who volunteers to transport rescued dogs in Ohio. She's holding "Wheelo," a wheelchair-using dog on his way to a sanctuary. Good work, mom!