Profile: Foster My Pet
by Trish Phillips
Earlier this month, Foster My Pet completed its first year of business! Foster My Pet is a non-profit surrender prevention organization which offers services to pet owners so that they may keep their pets despite short-term personal setbacks. Foster My Pet places the pet in a temporary foster until its owner can be reunited with it.
The mission of Foster My Pet is simple: To help families and individuals in crisis keep their pets. This is accomplished through an extensive foster care system for companion animals in danger of displacement from their homes, due to difficult economic times experienced by their owners.
The organization’s goals include:
- Create local foster caregivers in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area who will protect, care for, nurture, and cherish animal companions belonging to others.
- To reunite those pets with their families after a pre-arranged, limited period of time.
- Reduce the number of companion animals surrendered to animal shelters due to temporary economic, medical, and financial hardships.
- Establish programs to serve the community by helping with issues regarding care and wellbeing of pets.
- Understanding the highly beneficial connections between animals and humans will be the basis of future educational endeavors of this organization.
- Reach out and encourage the community by supporting families and individuals through educational services, practical advice and useful tips that will help pet owners to enjoy the company of their pets for many years to come.
Foster My Pet serves the greater Twin Cities area in Minnesota. To ensure that precious funding is used efficiently, we limit our services to pet owners enrolled in the programs of local social service agencies. All of Foster My Pet’s programs, including the Behavior Crew, available to those who are on some form of government assistance, or who qualify based on limited income.
In addition to our initial Foster Care program, Foster My Pet recognizes that the single biggest contributor to pet surrender at animal shelters is behavior problems. For this reason, Foster My Pet also helps pet owners with pet behavior issues through the Behavior Crew. (We are proud that Marilyn Tokach of Pure Spirit is a part of this team.)
Since May 1, 2011, Foster My Pet successfully returned 22 dogs, 16 cats and two birds to their pet owners, after the foster care period was completed. Currently Foster My Pet provides care for 16 cats, 10 dogs, 1 rabbit and 3 parrots. There is a long waiting list for dogs, birds and cats. Foster My Pet is always seeking more foster caregivers who will open their home and heart to someone’s pet temporarily.
More information about these programs is available HERE.
How to Contact Foster My Pet
By Postal Mail: Foster My Pet, PO Box 120211, New Brighton, MN 55112
For Foster Care Services: Daniela vonArx, Founder. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 651-503-0045.
For the Behavior Crew: Behavior Crew Staff. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 612-568-7381.
For Fundraising Events and Raffles: Paul Houdek. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 651-775-7105.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/fostermypet
Listen to Daniela on Blog Talk Radio: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/talk2theanimals/2012/03/22/encore-performance-foster-my-pet
Photos courtesy of Foster My Pet.