Temporary pet housing program helps people in crisis keep their pets
GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — Life can throw curveballs, and when you have pets, that can pose additional challenges. It's one of the reasons a program at the Animal Humane Society aims to keep pets with people who love them.
Rachel, a Hennepin County resident, knows this first-hand. Her pets mean the world to her.
"They're my babies, and you know, I'm single, so they make me not feel lonely," Rachel said.
But when life got in the way, she didn't know where to turn.
"I was having some health issues, so I couldn't pay to live where I was living. I couldn't find a place right away, so I didn't know what I was going to do with them for a couple months because I didn't want to give them away, because they are like my family," she said.
Her caseworker and ARMHS Mental Health Practitioner Jamie Luker then discovered the Animal Humane Society's Temporary Pet Housing Program. For up to 60 days, they can provide free housing and veterinary care, including sterilizations and vaccines, while their owner navigates through a short-term crisis. Pets are ideally placed in foster homes, or they stay in the shelter. The owner is given updates on them throughout their stay.
"We do think providing those updates has been really helpful for maintaining that bond," AHS Community Outreach Manager Tabitha Ewart said.
So far, they say the program has an 86% reunification rate.
"We absolutely view this as a surrender prevention program. If you just have one short-term crisis going on, we would love for you to be able to keep your animal. So we're hoping that this program really addresses that need," Ewart said.
"For anyone struggling with mental illness, it's so important to have pets to have something to look forward in your day, to have a sense of purpose, someone to care for," Luker said.
For Rachel, the program was a lifeline.
"I think the main thing was knowing they were still my pets and knowing that I'd have my family back," she said.
The Animal Humane Society currently partners with seven different agencies and nonprofits that refer people to the program. The program thrives through its foster care program. To apply to become a foster, click here.