Columbus Animal Care Services needs volunteers to serve as foster families for animals at the facility.
Animal Care Services director Nicohl Birdwell-Goodin said the shelter currently has about a dozen cats and three to four dogs in need of foster families, and that number could change daily.
The types of cats available include newborns, older kittens, mama cats with babies and adult cats. The shelter is also searching for foster families for older dogs and dogs recovering from surgery or waiting to be transported to another shelter.
Birdwell-Goodin said the shelter seldom has a shortage of cats and is almost always in need of foster parents. Foster families are typically used to help with the needs of younger animals who don’t yet have a fully-built immune system and who haven’t yet felt the full effects of the vaccines.
About 35 cats and 45 dogs are currently placed in foster homes across Bartholomew County, Birdwell-Goodin said.
“We try to keep them out of the shelter when they’re really young and too young to be spayed or neutered,” she said. “A foster family might have the animal for four weeks or one week, depending on the situation.”
Anyone can apply to adopt the pets, including the animal’s foster family, which Birdwell-Goodin. The foster family does receive first dibs if the family is eligible to adopt.
Birdwell-Goodin said Columbus Animal Care Services will work around an individual’s own schedules and needs for those interested in fostering an animal.
“I can’t stress how important the program is to saving lives,” Birdwell-Goodin said. “We’re looking to do an expansion of our shelter, but in the meantime it’s essential that we have other places for them to go to keep them safe and healthy and get them ready to be adopted.”
She said the shelter is nearly full, but they always make space to accommodate more animals. The shelter also works with other rescue organizations and shelters to transfer animals out if possible, but she said it’s a constant battle to find other places for the animals to go.
If interested in applying to foster an animal through the Columbus Animal Care Services, call the shelter at 812-376-2505 or stop in and visit the shelter, {span class=”LrzXr”}2730 Arnold St.{/span}
{span class=”LrzXr”}Once an application is submitted and the applicant is approved for foster care, the shelter will contact the applicant when the next need arises. As more applications are filed, Birdwell-Goodin said the shelter hopes to host training sessions for new foster parents.{/span}
{span class=”LrzXr”}The shelter will supply necessary items for some animals going to foster families. For example, the shelter provides a large wired crate, a litter box and food for kittens.{/span}
Birdwell-Goodin stressed that not every animal is available for fostering but some are available on a case-by-case basis.
“Fostering saves lives,” Birdwell-Goodin said.
“We do not have space to have all the animals we have. There are always additional animals coming around the corner, and we have to prepare for that. Getting them out and keeping them healthy is incredibly important. This is a life-saving partnership with the community.”
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If interested in applying to foster an animal through the Columbus Animal Care Services, call the shelter at 812-376-2505 or stop in and visit the shelter, 2730 Arnold St.
An employee can assist you in filling out an application. Once an application is submitted and the applicant is approved, the shelter will notify the applicant when an animal is available.
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