Hawaiian Humane Society
Newsletter People for animals. Animals for people.
October – December 2014
Foster care offers turning point for animals and families At any given time, about 150 animals are receiving in-home care, each with a variety of needs. The foster care program plays a crucial role in the Hawaiian Humane Society’s mission to save lives. Nearly 8,000 animals were adopted last year and almost a quarter of them spent time in a foster home before heading to the adoption center and finding their new family. Most in foster care need nothing more than time. They are too young and too small for sterilization and adoption so they spend a couple weeks with a foster family where they can grow. The Hinsdale family began fostering in 2011. “When our dog Sasha died, we were not ready to adopt but missed having a dog in our lives,” said Pam Hinsdale. “When we went to the Hawaiian Humane Society to donate Sasha’s bed and toys, we were told that if we weren’t ready to adopt, they
The Hinsdale family has fostered more than 40 animals since 2011, including puppies Chip and Naga.
were always looking for new foster volunteers.” Since then, their home is more often than not filled with the sounds of scampering puppies. They have fostered over 40 dogs and also aided the Society when they needed help fostering over 100 dogs rescued from a Waimanalo puppy mill. Animals also come to the Humane Society in need of specialty care. Oreo, only four months old, was brought into the Society after being found in Wahiawa lying under a tree with a severely injured leg that needed to be surgically removed. He was placed in foster care where he recovered and learned to adjust to his new life on three legs.
As Oahu’s only open-admission shelter, a variety of animals besides cats and dogs are also placed in foster care. Diane Sugahara has been a part of the foster care program since 2004 and fosters only small animals like rabbits and guinea pigs. The best part about fostering small animals for Diane, who is a teacher, is being able to take them to work with her. “The animals get socialized and I get to teach my students about what I do and about adoption,” she said. Foster families, such as the Hinsdales and Sugaharas, helped to foster over 1,600 animals last year. To become a foster care volunteer, visit HawaiianHumane.org or call 356-2229.