TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Kathryn Sullivan said she just couldn't say no when she learned not one, not two, but six kittens needed a place to call home this holiday season. "I absolutely love animals. I've always loved animals. I just think that I need to help as many as I can," said Sullivan.
Sullivan is one of 400 Southern Arizonans that chose to foster a pet from Pima Animal Care Center (PACC) for the holidays.
Staff at PACC said the need for foster homes is high this year. PACC Public Information Officer, Nikki Reck, said she and many others are working to help hundreds of animals find their forever home.
"We made a big push at the beginning of the pandemic to ask people to take on fosters, or to adopt if they could, to help clear out the kennels and keep a more manageable number of pets in the shelter," said Reck.
The reason for that is COVID-19. In the case that staff are exposed to the Coronavirus, PACC wants to make sure the animals will still receive all the love and care that they need.
Reck said the less pets they keep in the shelter, and the more in good homes, the better. "This year, it's almost like fostering kind of means a little more. Many people are stuck at home. They may not want to go out because it's not safe. If you're at home it's great to have a pet to take up that time," said Reck.
Reck said the warm weather in Tucson encourages breeding all year round. She explained that animals keep coming.
For Sullivan, those animals were the blessings that she said she needed to close out a long year. "Animals give us so much. They really give us so much love. It can really be a lot of fun and it'll definitely lift the spirits," said Sullivan.
