- Two national nonprofit organizations encourage more pet parents to lend a (temporary) hand or home to pets in need
National nonprofit Petco Love and BOBS from Skechers put the focus on the fun in fostering pets. Because pet fostering is lifesaving.
"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."
But fostering can be serious fun, too.
Throughout June, Petco Love will work with the Skechers charity brand and 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 people 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 all 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.
Petco Love will host a National Foster Pet Open House event, June Saturday and Sunday 25-26 at shelters across the country, encouraging animal welfare organizations to show off pets in need of foster homes at their very best.
A selection of 40 organizations will receive Ben & Jerry's Doggie Desserts and cat toys from Petco to make the foster meet-and-greet an interactive party for new two- and four-legged friends.
Skechers will also hold a Register Round-Up event at its retail stores nationwide in June to raise funds for these organizations, as well as host pet adoption events throughout the month in California, Nebraska, Texas, and Canada.
"As a philanthropic brand, we love welcoming new and experienced pet parents to fostering. It's an important part of our commitment to saving shelter animals, and it's as life-changing for those who foster as the pets they care for," said Michael Greenberg, president of Skechers, which has donated over $8 million to help save and support more than 1.5 million shelter pets in North America. "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 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.
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.
