Become a Foster and Make a Lifesaving Difference

Pets staying at HSSW have the best care possible while they wait to find a loving home. We support them with more than just food, shelter, and cozy beds - our clinic team provides top-notch medical care, and dedicated staff and volunteers on our dog and cat teams are here every day for walks, enrichment, playtime, socialization, and more. But some pets need more than we can offer in the shelter environment, and our foster volunteers are here for them.

Fostering is a critical tool to help us care for the many pets in our community who need help. Last year, 1,130 HSSW pets were fostered - including 810 kittens and 102 puppies! The need for foster placement will be even greater this year, and you can help.

There are several reasons a pet might need foster placement. The list below includes some of the most common reasons a pet might need foster, and we've also linked to some of our favorite foster stories of 2023.

Young Animals

For puppies and kittens, foster placement makes all the difference. A foster home provides essential socialization and enrichment that isn’t possible in the shelter, and it also reduces the chance they’ll develop a respiratory infection like kennel cough or a kitty cold! Sadie and her puppies received lifesaving care in a foster home.

Stress and Enrichment

For some pets, the shelter environment is stressful. Spending time in foster allows them to decompress and relax in a home – and this doesn’t just benefit their well-being, it also helps us learn more about their needs and their personality, making it easier to match them with an adoptive family. We find this is especially important for big dogs who need more physical and intellectual stimulation than is possible in the shelter. Mr. Oslo found the quiet and calm he needed in foster.

Medical Needs

For pets with special medical needs or those recovering from surgery, a foster home offers more practical care options to ensure their recovery or treatment is successful. Most animals seeking foster for medical reasons are easily cared for and fosters receive support and training from our team. Medical care in foster helped Benny walk again.

Available Space

When a pet is placed in foster, it not only benefits that individual pet, it frees up space so we can care for another pet who needs us. This is critical during the spring when hundreds of kittens begin arriving at our doorstep – without our fosters, we simply wouldn’t have enough space to care for them.

You Can Help

When we say fostering saves lives, we mean it. Every day, pets find their second chance thanks to the amazing foster who opened their home and heart to them. When you foster, you give a pet a break from the shelter, help preserve shelter resources, and create space for other animals in need.

You can make a difference for pets in need today when you join our foster team. Opportunities are available year-round, and you can select the type of foster that works best for you. And along the way, you’re supported by our amazing foster team and medical staff to ensure you (and your foster!) have what you need.

Make a difference for pets in need today – join our foster team.

Become a Foster Today

Walk, Run, Make a Difference

Lace up your sneakers and get ready for the most paw-some event of the year! The 2024 Walk/Run for the Animals is back on May 4, and we're shaking things up by wagging our tails to a new location on the Downtown Vancouver Waterfront.

Now in its 33rd year, this event is more than just a walk or run – it's an essential community fundraiser that supports HSSW's lifesaving work with pets in our community.

Whether you're a seasoned athlete or just looking for a leisurely stroll, Walk/Run has something for everyone. Choose between a chip-timed 5k run or a scenic 1, 2, or 3-mile stroll along the breathtaking Vancouver Waterfront. The event start and end at the Waterfront and will be buzzing with excitement, featuring a vendor village, event activities, and much more!

Join or create a team and let the friendly competition begin. Register now! In the months leading up to the biggest pet-friendly walk in Clark County, each team will fundraise on behalf of HSSW. With your own fundraising page, you can rally your community, raise funds, and leave a lasting paw print on the lives of pets in Southwest Washington. Plus, earn some fun prizes along the way.

Our fundraising goal is $300,000 for the animals! So, whether you're a seasoned walker, a speedy runner, or just someone who loves supporting our furry friends, register today and let's make a difference together. It's not just a walk/run – it's a step towards a better future for animals in need.

Register for Walk/Run

Wellness Clinic for Community Pets

We were honored to take part in last month's Project Homeless Connect. The event is Clark County’s largest annual resource fair for people experiencing homelessness and low-income residents, providing services and resources to families in need. Our team of staff and volunteers were there to support our neighbors by providing exams and wellness care for their pets, as well as food, and supplies like leashes, collars, harnesses, coats, and toys.

Wellness care and services like this are critical to support pets and people in our community. When we can help pets in our community, we not only help keep them healthy and safe, we also enrich the lives of the people they love! And keeping pets and home with their family prevents them from entering the shelter environment, helping us prioritize our space for the pets who have no one to care for them.

Our investment in community pets is an essential component of our strategic plan and a critical step in helping us achieve our vision of a community where everyone loves and cares for pets. We are excited and deeply grateful to offer these services, and look forward to many more opportunities to support the pets and people of Southwest Washington.

Thank you to the many staff and volunteers who supported this event, to the families who allowed us to provide care to their pets, and to the many nonprofit and community partners who provided services to families in need - we are all better together.

HSSW Newsletter

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