How to Save a Shelter Pet's Life

When you think about pet adoption, images of heading to the Hillsborough County Animal Services shelter and picking out the perfect pet likely come to mind.

But there's a group of people you may not think about who contribute a valuable resource to county pet adoption—pet foster families.

Animals are typically placed in foster families when space is limited at the Hillsborough County Animal Services shelter at 440 N. Falkenburg Road, or the animal needs some special care before adoption. Often, foster families can provide insight and guidance to the people who ultimately adopt the pets.

"Having a foster family is helpful on so many different levels," said Marti Ryan, spokeswoman for Hillsborough County Animal Services. "The animal has a place to calm down and get care. The shelter becomes very instrumental in getting the dog or cat placed. They begin to know dogs habits, strengths and weaknesses or behavior issues."

Through May, animal services will team up with Hillsborough County libraries to teach people how to become pet foster families. A lectures series called "Save A Life-Foster A Pet" will take place at several library locations in the county through May. The series is a way to celebrate National Pet Week, which runs from May 5-12.

The New Tampa Regional Library will have a lecture May 7 at 6:30 p.m.

Those 18 and older are invited to meet trained volunteers and staff from animal services to learn how to provide foster care to shelter pets in need of adoption. People will be able to ask questions and learn how to become a shelter family.

"By going to the neighborhoods, it's a way to proactively reach out to a variety of neighborhoods that are not too far from your house," Ryan said.

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