PARSIPPANY — Everyone loves to be home for the holidays, enjoying the comfort and warmth of the season – but many homeless pets in our area spend their holidays in shelters. However, St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center, they have a plan for shelter pets who haven’t found a home by December 24.
Thorough St. Hubert’s Home for the Holidays program, shelter dogs and cats are given a break from the shelter and the opportunity to enjoy a holiday vacation with foster families. Holiday foster parents are given everything they need to take care of their foster pet, from food to supplies – and even a wrapped present to be opened on Christmas morning!
Janet Saulter-Hemmer of Parsippany was looking to bring some joy to a shelter pet’s life this holiday season and stopped in at St. Hubert’s Madison shelter to meet an animal to bring home for the holidays.
“I love to foster pets to get them ready for adoption because it is so rewarding to help socialize them, and help them learn to love people. When they go to their furever home I know I helped them have a great start,’ said Parsippany resident Janet Saulter-Hemmer.
“It’s great because it gives the animals a chance to get out of the shelter,’ said Parsippany Focus Publisher Frank Cahill. “I been fostering dogs to save a dog’s life. For every dog that goes into a foster home, it makes room for a dog that is on death-row to be saved and have a place to sleep. It’s always a pleasure to find a fur-ever home for the dogs.”
The program is run by Foster Coordinator Kim Lehner, who also facilitates fostering opportunities throughout the year.
“If you’re looking to make a difference in the life of an animal, but can’t make the commitment to adopt, fostering is a great way to help,” said Lehner. “It can be rewarding, fun experience for the whole family, and it enables our shelter pets to experience home and family life and become ready for adoption.”
Foster families, who provide temporary care for a pet while the pet waits for permanent adoptive homes, are needed year-round, and all supplies and training are provided by St. Hubert’s staff.
For more information about fostering a shelter pet, contact Kim Lehner or learn more by clicking here.
Founded in 1939, St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center operated a renowned dog training center and three adoption cents with a fourth opening in 2016. St. Hubert’s provides animal control services to a number of municipalities in Somerset and Morris counties and provides a variety of programs including humane education throughout northern New Jersey, pet therapy, a pet food pantry, low-cost spray/neuter of community cats, a pet help line, a professional education and training series. St. Hubert’s is a regular response agency for local, regional and national disasters. The organization also houses the ASPCA Behavior Rehabilitation Center, a ground-breaking behavior program for dogs that were victims of puppy mills, hoarding or other abuse.
