Foster a Shelter Pet for the Holidays

There’s no place like home for the holidays — and we’re not just talking about people.

That’s why Petfinder is working with shelters and rescue groups from across the country to find foster homes for adoptable animals between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day as part of its annual Foster a Lonely Pet for the Holidays program.

The hope is that it will be a win-win for everyone — love for the animals and the foster families, along with a well-deserved break for shelter workers and volunteers during the holidays — all while getting the word out about fostering, especially when it comes to deserving adult animals.

This is the third year for the program, which was inspired by Greg Kincaid’s book A Dog Named Christmas. “Animal shelters across North America have to euthanize adoptable pets simply because they are overcrowded,” said Betsy Banks Saul, the co-founder of Petfinder.com. “However, by fostering, people can give pets a place to stay while they wait for their forever homes.”

You can find a list of participating shelters at petfinder.com/fosteralonelypet. Contact the shelters nearest you to learn more about what it takes to be a foster mom or dad.