Petco Love And Almost Home Foundation Encourage Pet Fostering 'With A Focus On Fun'
Schaumburg, IL (06/10/2022) - Almost Home Foundation is teaming up with national nonprofit Petco Love and Skechers with its BOBS from Skechers philanthropic footwear collection, to put the focus on the fun in fostering pets. Pet fostering is lifesaving and critical for animal shelters particularly during the busy summer season.
"Ending preventable euthanasia of shelter pets is possible today," said Susanne Kogut, president of Petco Love. "Data tells us that if we could encourage 2% more of the 85-million pet-owning households to foster just one pet a year, we can eliminate preventable euthanasia and save the lives of the 800,000 shelter animals at risk of euthanization in the U.S. annually."
But fostering can be serious fun, too.
Throughout June, Petco Love will work with its network of partners nationwide to share the fun aspects of fostering while helping pet parents groove through their foster pet goodbyes. In fact, saying goodbye to foster pets - and the fear they'll struggle giving the pet to a new family - is among the most-cited reasons why pet parents don't foster.
Petco Love is taking a humorous approach to saying goodbye to foster pets by holding a #MyFosterBreakUp story contest featuring Foster Breakup Kits giveaways and a curated playlist to help foster pet parents through their goodbyes.
Kits include breakup essentials: cozy, festive socks from BOBS from Skechers, a pint of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, Kleenex, the official Petco Love Foster Breakup Spotify Playlist, and a foster tee that reminds you that "Foster Pets are Here for A Fun Time, Not a Long Time." Foster parents can enter to win by sharing their breakup letter from their foster pet on Instagram using the hashtag #MyFosterBreakUp from June 1 -30 and even win $10,000 in lifesaving funds for the organization they foster from.
Almost Home Foundation will also join shelters nationwide for the National Foster Pet Open House event by inviting the public to visit their shelter located at 1800 W Irving Park Rd., Schaumburg, IL on Saturday, June 25 3PM-6PM and Sunday, June 26 10AM-1PM for an interactive foster meet-and-greet party for two-and four-legged friends.
During the open house at the Almost Home Foundation facility, people can drop in and learn about the importance of fostering and speak with one of their Foster Coordinators to learn what the process is and what is expected. They plan to have an active foster or two on hand who can tell you what things are like from a foster perspective. You will also see the facility and meet some animals that are looking for foster homes.
"Fosters are essential and are truly the heart of a rescue. Foster parents allow us to save more animals in need, by opening their homes and hearts. For the foster parent, it is a rewarding experience. Although sad to say goodbye, it is a wonderful feeling when you are able to help an animal find a loving forever home, especially for those who were abandoned or abused. Having a loving home to feel safe makes all the difference," said Jackie Guglielmo, Canine Director. "Through our partnership with Petco Love, we're excited to take part in National Foster a Pet Month and build on this event's positive momentum to help save more lives year-round."
Establishing June as National Foster a Pet Month to increase participation in fostering is just one of the lifesaving actions led by Petco Love in their 23-year history of helping pets, with $330 million invested in lifesaving efforts and 6.5 million pets adopted - and counting. Skechers has contributed more than $8 million to help over 1.5 million shelter pets, including saving 1.1 million rescued pets in the United States and Canada.
The nonprofit also recently launched a new national database, Petco Love Lost, which uses pet facial recognition technology to help reunite missing pets with their families.
To learn more about Almost Home Foundation and their upcoming event, please visit www.almosthomefoundation.org.
To learn about Petco Love and to view foster resources, visit petcolove.org/foster and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #PetcoLoveFoster.
For more on BOBS from Skechers, visit BOBSfromSkechers.com.
About Almost Home Foundation
Almost Home Foundation is an all-volunteer, registered, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. We are dedicated to rescuing stray, neglected, and abandoned adoptable cats and dogs. Almost Home Foundation Is committed to reducing the number of homeless and unwanted companion animals through education programs, spay/neuter programs, and the responsible rehoming of cats and dogs through adoption programs. We rely on volunteers who dedicate their time, homes, and hearts to our animals until permanent, loving homes can be found.
About Petco Love
Petco Love is a life-changing nonprofit organization that makes communities and pet families closer, stronger, and healthier. Since our founding in 1999 as the Petco Foundation, we've empowered animal welfare organizations by investing $330 million in adoption and other lifesaving efforts. We've helped find loving homes for more than 6.5 million pets in partnership with Petco and organizations nationwide.
Our love for pets drives us to lead with innovation, creating tools animal lovers need to reunite lost pets, and lead with passion, inspiring and mobilizing communities and our more than 4,000 animal welfare partners to drive lifesaving change alongside us. Join us. Visit petcolove.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to be part of the lifesaving work we lead every day.