Animal Humane Society seeks volunteers to foster dogs — especially larger ones
GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — If you have space in your heart and your home, the Animal Humane Society is looking for more foster volunteers.
They're especially in need of those who can take in large dogs who have been overlooked in the shelter for a longer period of time compared to puppies who often get adopted quickly.
"He loves running around, he loves playing with his toys and he just loves people," Nick Nier said.
Her 2-year-old dog, Alfie, may be small, but he has made big strides. He was dropped off at the Animal Humane Society after he fell, breaking both his legs. Foster volunteer Nick Nier brought him home so he could recover from surgery. At the time, Nier had also just undergone surgery, making it an excellent match as they both had to lay low.
"I had a buddy to help me recover, and I helped him recover, and it was just a lot of fun," Nier said.
Nier ended up adopting Alfie, in what is known by some as a "foster fail."
"He brings so much joy to my life and I hope I do the same for him," Nier said.
Since 2020, she's fostered nine different dogs through the Animal Humane Society's foster volunteer program.
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"Cats and critters tend to shuffle through the system pretty quickly, but with the dogs, we're realizing the length of stay is getting longer and longer," AHS Foster Coordinator Joey Babay said.
Babay said the average stay for a dog at the shelter used to be 7-10 days. Now, he says it can be 3-4 weeks or even as long as two months before they are adopted. One reason for this, he speculates, is due to housing limitations in the metro with some apartments prohibiting tenants from owning large dogs or dogs of certain breeds.
Adding to the need, AHS has brought in more animals from humane investigations than usual. So far this year, they've rescued almost 400 animals, which is about a year's worth in just a couple of months.
"It's not always that they are coming from a horrible place. They either need to get that medical help to get them back up to weight, healthy, on the right diet, or on the behavioral end getting them used to people if they haven't had that interaction," Babay said.
AHS provides all foster volunteers with the needed supplies and resources to temporarily care for the animal.
"When you are getting them into foster homes, you are getting them out of the shelter and into a private home where they are getting more one-on-one time," he said.
For Nier, it's a rewarding experience that's changed her life too.
"The little bit I do for them of getting them used to living in a home, having a schedule, walking on a leash, so I know that even if it's sad for me to say goodbye, I'm setting them up for success with their future family and that feels good," she said.
Fosters have priority in adopting the animal after it returns to the shelter. On top of large dog fosters, they're also looking for those who can help bottle-feed kittens this spring.
