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Fosters Urgently Neeeded

Fosters Urgently Neeeded
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June 11, 2025
in Humane Education Column
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By: Ark-Valley Humane Society Staff

Ark-Valley Humane Society (AVHS) is in urgent need of fosters to help care for the influx of kittens arriving at the shelter. Some are motherless and only 2-3 days old. Their tiny bodies are cold and weak. Their eyes are barely open, and their pleading mews are barely audible. They need watchful, round-the-clock care, including frequent bottle feeding. They need a loving foster human to care for them and be their lifeline. We are so grateful at AVHS for all of our current foster families. If you are already signed up to foster and are interested in additional bottle baby training or are able to help in the coming weeks, please reach out to our Foster Coordinator, Kiersten, at volunteer@ark-valley.org.

The spring-summer kitten season began early this year with our shelter already having received pregnant cats, nursing mothers, abandoned litters, and fragile kittens. These mom cats and kittens arrive at AVHS unexpectedly with urgent need to be placed in foster care. We are trying to prepare for these arrivals by compiling foster homes who would be able to help immediately and providing them with additional bottle baby training.

Executive Director Nikki Ritter says, “We find that many of our wonderful foster families spend well-deserved time traveling throughout the summer. Summer is also when we tend to see the largest influx of animals arriving into our care in need. Our goal is to increase our number of available foster homes to reach out to for assistance with the many unique situations that can unexpectedly arise”. Our current staff is operating with a nearly full animal capacity, with many fosters and volunteers lending aid, but our busy season is ramping up and not close to ending.

We are also seeking foster assistance with a nursing adult female dog named Hermione that is kid, dog, and cat-friendly, who recently gave birth to seven puppies. The puppies are nearing four weeks of age and will need to remain in foster care until they are closer to eight weeks of age. Hermione will need to remain in foster care for an additional period of time to allow her body time to heal from nursing before returning to the shelter for additional medical care.

We are trying, but this is a challenge we cannot meet without your help. Chaffee County is such a caring community that we know if you hear our call you will reach out to fill this special need. Please open your hearts and homes. Take in one of these babies or any one of our shelter dogs that have a variety of needs and personalities, who need quiet, comfort, and love to heal and recover, and to again trust and be a wonderful, loyal pet to complete a family, filling their home with love.

You will not only be giving a deserving animal a second chance, you will also be creating space in our shelter for other animals to be brought in and given their second chance. Your reward will be the boundless love you will feel saving the precious lives of these wonderful companion animals. We will be grateful and glad to help you along your way with your fostering adventure.

No prior fostering experience is required, simply a drive to learn and a love for animals. The length of any foster placement depends on the individual needs of the animal and the availability of the foster home. Staff at Ark-Valley Humane Society provide training and all fostering supplies required.

If you are a current foster that has availability in your home, or for more information or to apply to foster, please contact us at volunteer@ark-valley.org or call the shelter at (719) 395-2737. You will save lives and be our “furever” hero.

 

 

 

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