Fostering animals

Fostering Frenzy

FAMILIES SUPPORT LOCAL SHELTER ANIMALS

“WE WERE ALL PETTING them, and that kitten stood out to us because she would come to us and climb up our legs,” Palo Alto High School in the work, fostering or adopting an adorable fluffy friend from a shelter can bring love and smiles into quarantine life. “They are kind of like a light in my life if I feel kind of sad or hopeless,” Ho says. interested in doing before.” But the process of fostering an animal has had to change due to the pandemic. Since in-person visits are no longer feasible, interviews have to be conducted over sophomore Paula Luna says. “We felt a con- Zoom. It has presented a unique set of obnection with her.” Pets in Need stacles, such as introducing a foster family’s After adopting a cat from the Pets in When COVID-19 hit, Pets in Need, dog to a shelter dog they would potentially Need animal shelter a year ago, Luna decided to adopt another one from Mexico just four months ago. She is just “Whenever I go downstairs, I just see my rabbit’s little bobbing an animal shelter in Palo Alto, was forced to reevaluate how they could continue to serve the dogs and foster. “Those kinds of things, obviously, still need to be done in person,” Farrell says. “Dogs don’t Zoom that well.” Pets in Need has adapted to the new one of many who has taken in pets during nose, and it just makes cats in their care with uncertainty around normal, but there are some things that will always hold true –– especially the positive the pandemic. me so happy.” how staff could safely impact finding a dog a foster home can

Bunny bonanza — ZOE HO, sophomore come to work. Pets in Need focused on rehave. “It saves the life of the animal you’re fos“No matter how locating their animals tering, but what it also does is it opens up hard my day is, whenever I go downstairs, I into foster homes, following the strategy space in the shelter for another animal that just see my rabbit’s little bobbing nose, and established by shelters all over the country, may need that space who may not be able it just makes me so happy,” Castilleja soph- according to foster manager Audra Farrell. to go to foster right away,” Farrell says. “It’s omore Zoe Ho says. “We made the push to get all the ani- a win-win.” v Whenever Ho needs a pick-me-up, she mals that traditionnever needs to look farther than to the fac- ally would stay in es of her three foster rabbits. She is one of the shelter out into many teens and their families in Palo Alto foster care because who have opened their homes to animals in we didn’t know need during the pandemic. when any kind of Ho had never fostered a pet before normalcy was goCOVID-19, yet she now takes care of three ing to come about,” foster rabbits: Ramen, Matcha and Boba. Farrell says. But fostering is no small task. Ho has tak- Due to the en on the responsibilities of food, ‘bun- strategy’s resoundny-proofing’ her home and researching the ing success, Pets in needs of a free-roam rabbit. Overall, Ho Need ended up rerecommends the experience to other stu- ceiving a surplus of dents looking for a way to help their com- foster applications. munity and escape pandemic boredom. “It’s a great “But it’s also a big commitment be- thing to see peocause you have to be willing to do your ple want to help,” best for this animal,” Ho says. “It can’t be a Farrell says. “They half-hearted effort.” realize that they The last outcome that shelters want is have the time to for a family to foster or adopt when they do something that aren’t prepared. For students willing to put maybe they weren’t

HAPPY TO BE HOME — An adopted cat bathes in the sunshine. “They [the cats] just eat, sleep, play a bit and sleep again,” Luna said. “I don’t think [the pandemic] has affected them much.” Photo: Paula Luna