Top Five Reasons to Foster a Pet this Holiday

Our furry friends are incredible at sensing change, not only in the season but in their humans’ behavior. The time around the holidays is no exception. From Thanksgiving until the New Year, our demeanor is different. Our energy is heightened, full of the promise the hustle and bustle of the season brings, and within the walls of the Arizona Humane Society, space can become limited as more and more pets without a home come in. All this  change and uncertainty can make pets anxious and having a loving home to spend the holidays in could go a long way to soothing their mental health.

Here are our Top Five Reasons you should foster a pet this holiday.

1. You can tell your in-laws the guest room is full. Dreading a visit from the in-laws? Fear not! If you need an excuse not to host the family this holiday, fostering a pet is a good one. You can set your foster up in the spare bedroom and forgo your in-laws or Aunt Margo’s (uncomfortable) visit.
2. Give your family something to do other than criticize your cooking. It’s great when family and friends come over for a big holiday meal, except when they start to offer their unsolicited “advice” on how to make the mashed potatoes creamier. But with a foster pet, they can spend hours at a time playing and entertaining your dog or cat, keeping your helpful visitors out of the kitchen.
3. Tell your family they can take a hike…with your foster dog! It can become awfully crowded very quickly with all your family and friends gathered around waiting for the big holiday feast. Sometimes, it even makes putting dinner on the table a real struggle, thanks to all the “help.” If you need a few moments to collect your wits and set the table, you can send the crew on a hike with your foster pup. Or, you can walk off the post-feast calories by taking a romp with your new, furry sidekick.
4. Give a pet in need the chance to experience the magic of the holiday from the comfort of a loving home. Despite our best efforts at AHS, the shelter environment can be tough on pets. Research has proved that giving dogs and cats a safe, loving place to rest, relax, and recuperate can increase their recovery and help prepare them for adoption faster.
5. Secure your spot on Santa’s “nice” list for next year. When you foster a pet with the Arizona Humane Society, you’ll give a second chance to a dog or cat in need while allowing us more space to save another pet who needs our help. It’s a selfless, kind act, and Santa is sure to take notice, making you a shoo-in for next year’s “nice” list.

While you may have wanted a hippopotamus for Christmas, wouldn’t helping a dog or cat who needs you be even better? Let’s work together to fill up foster homes so that every sick, injured and abused pet can have their holiday wish come true.