Pet rescues sound alarm for more foster homes throughout suburbs

Ava Powers works three jobs, volunteers for a pet rescue and cares for foster dogs in her Huntley townhouse.

Powers said people think they need free time and a large home with lots of space to foster dogs and cats, but the 19-year-old yoga instructor said that is just not true.

“If you go into these rescues (the dogs) are just in a tiny little crate that they can’t do a full circle in, so like, any amount of space, honestly, is better,” Powers said.

Those in the field of rescuing pets said there is a great need for more foster homes regionally. That need can grow even more after the holidays, when rescues sometimes see an uptick of dogs and cats that had been given as gifts but didn’t work out.

Dogs and cats fostered in homes also benefit from the peace and quiet, away from barking and other stressed-out animals, those who rescue and foster pets say.

Powers said when she fostered a pit bull mix named Ellie for about two months earlier this year, she noticed a big change in her behavior and personality when she brought the dog home from an animal rescue in Kane County.

Ellie was surrounded by loud, barking dogs and was “curled up in a ball.” She looked sad, stressed and scared. She would not come out of her crate and she would often bark as well, Powers recalled.

Within days at Powers’ home, Ellie stopped barking incessantly, became more confident, explored and ate her food. She went outside to play and took long walks and runs with Powers.

Stacy Pyrek, founder of Project Hope Animal Rescue in Kane County, where Powers volunteers and where Ellie was initially housed, said there’s a push among rescues to attract more people to foster dogs and cats.

“We have saved thousands of animals over the past five years from unsafe situations,” Pyrek said. “We are currently working toward increasing the amount of foster homes in the area through a nationwide program called Foster 50.”

Foster 50 is a national challenge launched in June in honor of National Foster a Pet Month, sponsored by the PEDIGREE Foundation. With a coalition of animal welfare leaders, it’s a “catalyst for change, rallying pet lovers, shelters, and rescue organizations to spark a fostering movement and help change the future for shelter pets,” according to the foundation.

“With an estimated 5.8 million cats and dogs entering shelters and rescues, foster parents are needed now more than ever,” Adopt A Pet says on its website.

Pyrek cares for dogs and cats of all ages in two locations in suburban Gilberts — a specially equipped garage, which is heated and air-conditioned, and a former animal clinic across the street.

Her motto is “Make a change, save a life.”

Ideally, Pyrek said, there would be a foster home for each animal rescued.

Holly Bakey, also of Huntley, became a volunteer adoption team coordinator for Operation Hope after fostering two dogs.

Bakey echoed the importance of fostering pets as a step toward adoption. Dogs not fostered can be more difficult to adopt because people aren’t sure what type of dog they are getting, Bakey said.

Denise Samuel of Campton Hills is a full-time personal trainer, volunteer foster mom and public relations and marketing coordinator for As Good as Gold Golden Retriever Rescue of Illinois. The pet charity rescues golden retrievers and golden retriever mixes. The group has foster homes throughout the state including Kane and McHenry counties.

Unlike Project Hope, Good as Gold has no facility to take in animals. When calls come in for a rescue, they rely solely on foster homes, Samuel said.

She’s been fostering and helping rescue dogs for about 20 years. She agrees there is a big decline in the number of foster parents. She’s noticed in particular a lack of “empty nesters” who would typically sign up to foster.

Most rescues help cover many expenses, such as vaccinations, spay and neutering fees and food, rescuers said.

“Once you get into [fostering], it’s almost addictive,” Samuel said. “You see how you can help these dogs advance, when you see them change from just the love you are giving them.”

Bakey who currently does not have a foster said she gets “very emotionally attached” to her fosters. When it is time to give up the dogs for adoption “it is hard.”

“It’s like a breakup,” Bakey said, “but it is very rewarding.”