Why Fostering Saves Lives (And Why You’d Be Better at It Than You Think)
Let’s start with the basics: fostering is the act of temporarily opening your home, and your heart, to a shelter pet in need. You’re not adopting (though some fosters do “fail” gloriously). You’re giving an animal a chance to breathe, reset, and show the world who they really are.
It’s lifesaving.
Roughly 6.3 million dogs and cats enter U.S. shelters every year. Over 600,000 are euthanized. Those numbers aren’t abstract—they're real pets with names and quirks and giant hearts that need room to heal. And that’s where fosters come in.
A single foster home frees up a kennel. That means less crowding, fewer illnesses, and more space for animals who need immediate care. But more than that, fostering makes pets adoptable. Studies show it increases live release odds five-fold—and more than twenty-fold for adult dogs.
In a home, pets decompress. They sleep better. They eat better. They play, learn, and form bonds that help them transition successfully to their forever families. Many foster parents are the very reason a pet finally finds “their person.”
Think you’re not qualified? Think again.
You don’t need a fenced yard, training experience, or a house that smells like lavender. You just need patience, a little flexibility, and a willingness to be someone’s soft landing. WHS provides the food, supplies, vet care—even emotional support. You provide the couch. And the love.
To our past fosters—you are lifesavers.
To our future fosters—we’re ready when you are.
To anyone reading—if you’ve ever wanted to make a difference from the comfort of your own home, this is it.
Last year, 805 cats and dogs found temporary safety in WHS foster homes. Because you made space for them, we were able to save 805 more lives. So far this year, 518 pets have already come through our foster care system—let’s see if we can top last year’s number by at least one more.
Fostering is temporary. But what it makes possible? That’s forever.
