Foster a Holiday Companion Starting November 18
This fall, give a shelter pet the gift of a Home for the Holidays. “It’s the perfect opportunity for the animals to be in a home environment, decompress from the stress of living in the shelter, and it gives shelter staff much needed information to help match them with the best families for them,” says April Peiffer, community programs coordinator for the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter.
Shelter Respite
For more than 10 years, Home for the Holidays has given pets a much-needed break from the shelter and allowed individuals and families to enjoy having a pet throughout the holiday season. Starting November 18, residents can come to the shelter and pick out a medium-to-large adult dog or an adult cat to take home for the holiday season. The pet will remain available for adoption during their Home for the Holidays break, and the program will end January 2. “People really love this program,” April says. “Home for the Holidays gives people the opportunity to give back in a different way, and impact many lives at once.”
Benefits All Around
April says the program has been a big success, always making needed space for new animals that continue to come in every day. As well, being in a home allows the animals to be themselves and assimilate a bit to home life. This gives staff valuable information about a dog or cat that can’t be learned when they are at the shelter. “Is the dog house trained? What does she like or dislike? Does she enjoy a lot of attention or exercise? Does this cat like dogs? So much is learned when they are able to live in a home environment, and it makes our job of matching them to new families much easier.”
Participants may choose to adopt their Home for the Holidays foster pet at any time during their stay, with many ending up adding a new furry friend to their family. “People have sometimes decided they just can’t part with their Home for the Holidays foster pet and end up adopting. We love when that happens!”
Potential fosters can click here to begin fostering November 18.