TUCSON, Ariz. — An inside look into being a foster caregiver for animals. Pima Animal Care Center is in need of people who are willing to open up their homes and lives to care for animals for short periods of time.
Four-year-old Piper is a mix-breed rescue who's been at PACC for 4 months. Her big personality has crossed paths with Jon Malmberg and Marilyn Galanti, a couple who has fostered dogs for nine months.
"We had lost our longtime companion dog last spring. We had to put her down, she was 14. And got word about this fostering program and we thought, 'Gee that would be a good way to get our doggy kicks,'" said Malmberg.
"And we don't want to commit full-time to a dog, because we travel a lot," said Galanti.
Malmberg and Galanti foster each dog they pick up for an average of two weeks at a time. With each dog they are responsible for getting to know them and documenting their true behaviors and personalities.
"We do a write-up, take pictures, and they put it on the PACC Facebook and document it in other places and after a while the dogs get adopted," said Galanti.
Piper is Malmberg and Galanti's 17th foster dog. 15 of their past fosters have gotten adopted, and they are hoping Piper is the next to get a forver home.
"This girl has just been wonderful from the very get go. But some of them we've gotten, need to unwind and in a day or two, they are a completely different dog than when we picked them up at PACC," Malmberg.
There are several different ways fosters can help:
- People can give a home to puppies and kittens until they're old enough to become adopted.
- A home can give older dogs a break to relax from the stress of staying at a shelter.
- Fostering can also help pets that are recovering from sickness or injury.
To inquire about adopting Piper, email pacc.foster@pima.gov , and to find out how to become a foster caregiver, click here for ways to contact PACC.
