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Fostering Animals for Foster Pet Outreach Thank you for your interest in serving as a foster parent for Foster Pet Outreach. We want foster care to be a positive experience for both you and the foster pet. The process for approval of a foster home is similar to the process of adoption of a pet. We ask for information about your home and your pets and require personal references. The forms to provide this information are below. When the paperwork from you is completed, members of the Foster Care Committee will schedule a home visit to fulfill the regulations of the Illinois Department of Agriculture for licensing shelters and foster homes. The Foster Care Committee will then match a foster pet that will fit into your home environment. The foster pets have been to a veterinarian for health evaluation before being placed into a foster home. I hope you will join us in making a difference in the lives of homeless pets in Central Illinois. That has been the mission of Foster Pet Outreach since 1991. There are sacrifices one makes in adding more pets to a home, but the rewards of helping homeless pets are long lasting. Sincerely, Laura, Foster Care Coordinator Welcome to Fostering! Foster Pet Outreach is dedicated to helping homeless animals in need. Thank you for your interest in becoming a foster home. We do require that foster homes live within 60 miles of Peoria, Illinois. You are about to begin a great adventure!
Sign me up! ‘ Fill out the following form - You MUST live within 60 miles of Peoria, IL. ‘ Get a reference from your vet ‘ Get a reference from your groomer or other reliable person ‘ Return all three forms to: Laura Nelson c/o Foster Pet Outreach P.O. Box 5084 Peoria, IL 61601-5084
Foster parent gives homeless animals a second chance
Her house is built to withstand dirty paws.
A few broken flowerpots and dirty paw prints are no cause for
concern for Laurie Bushell, however. Over the past year, Bushell opened her
home to about 12 different homeless dogs and cats. Some stayed only a few
days, and some hung around for a couple of months, but they all found what
they were looking for: A permanent home.
Bushell is a foster home provider for Foster Pet Outreach.
Last November, she was looking to adopt a dog when she came across Foster
Pet Outreach’s website. She was impressed with the way the program was
organized and decided to apply to be a foster parent. Because her kids are
grown and out of the house, she only needed to convince her husband to open
their doors to homeless animals.
“His initial reaction was ‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’ but
he’s been on board ever since,” Bushell said.
With her husband committed, Bushell was ready for whatever
the foster parent experience might bring.
“I built my house to withstand paws.”
Bushell has two dogs of her own; an 8-year-old Labrador mix
and a 4-year-old shepherd, who also need to approve of the incoming foster
dogs. Most of the animals get along well and become friends quickly.
However, there was one instance in which Bushell brought home a large female
Labrador who did not quite sit right with her controlling female shepherd.
Because the situation was not going to work out, another foster home took
in the Labrador.
Bushell usually welcomes only one foster animal to her home
at a time, and they have all been dogs except for one. Last year on
Christmas Eve, only a month into being a foster parent, Bushell’s husband
discovered what appeared to be a cat in their backyard. The frail feline was
sick, starving and a filthy mess. Bushell instinctively nursed it back to
health, had it treated at a local vet and brought it into Foster Pet
Outreach’s program. The cat’s sad story helped it find a new home.
Bushell describes finding the right home for a foster dog or
cat as a mixture of joy and a short period of sadness.
“Sometimes I have to sit in the car for a bit after we drop
off one of my fosters.”
However, every animal she places is with a loving family
which she screened herself. Part of being a foster parent is making sure
the potential adopter is a good fit for the dog or cat. If someone is
interested in an animal Bushell is fostering, she will answer any questions
and arrange a home visit to make sure the new home is an ideal environment
for her foster dog or cat. Knowing she helped save another life turns
Bushell’s brief moment of emptiness into gratification.
The fostering experience over the past year has been both
positive and fulfilling for Bushell and her family. She often tells people
fostering is a lot like working in a car lot.
“You get to take a brand new one home each month or so. None
of them is ever the same, so you never get tired of them. Each one has been
fun to have, and they all have been successfully placed in permanent homes.”
Fostering has been an educational experience as well.
Bushell’s nieces have been around many of the dogs and even helped name
some of them.
“For families with children, it exposes them to different
types of animal temperament. The kids learn how to take care of animals as
they grow up. Not only that, cats and dogs teach them patience, tolerance
and unconditional love for animals.”
Foster Pet Outreach has made the foster parent role as
unproblematic as possible, according to Bushell. Members can call or email
each other if questions or problems arise. She is amazed by each member’s
organization, dedication and commitment to saving animals.
Because there will always be a need for animal foster homes,
Bushell hopes to continue helping animals for as long as she is able.
“If you want to help save a life and provide a warm, loving
home to an animal in dire need, you’ll never find anything more rewarding.”
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© 2007 Foster Pet Outreach |
