Each month we’ll be spotlighting some of our incredible fosters and the work they do. Join us in celebrating these magnificent humans!
August 2020
Cat Foster Spotlight: Caleb Andrus
Some of you may know Caleb already after he rescued our newest adorable kitten, Katy. She was found trying to escape the deadly traffic on I-10. Caleb has also been fostering two FFL cats—Scooter and Allie.
- How long have you been fostering with Friends For Life?
My wife and I started fostering in March 2020 after Friends For Life put out a call for help. - What made you become a foster parent?
I had been volunteering weekly at the Petsmart Cattery for a year before it was shut down due to COVID-19. I still wanted to help, and fostering was the best way to do that. - What’s your favorite thing about fostering?
I obviously love cats, and I feel good about myself knowing that I’m just a small part of a larger mission to help every cat we can. My two resident cats are 8 and 13, so it’s been fun having some younger cats in the house as well. - What has been your toughest obstacle while fostering?
We’ve had four cats in the house for over a month now. That’s four litter boxes to scoop every night, eight meals to prepare every day, more hair to lint roll off our couch, and more vacuuming and mopping required to maintain a clean home. It’s a lot of effort but obviously worth it to us.
Dog Foster Spotlight: Katie Harnish
Katie is a familiar face around the shelter as she not only fosters for Friends For Life, but is a dedicated behavior volunteer. She has helped out with numerous activities around the shelter—from volunteer orientation to Puppy Kindergarten.
- How long have you been fostering with Friends For Life?
We have been fostering for 3ish years! In that time we’ve temporary fostered two dogs (Ducky and Tamale), several puppies to adoption, and three adult dogs – Clint, Oliver, and Molly. - What made you become a foster parent?
We always knew we would foster dogs once we had a house, but after Harvey we decided to enroll as fosters even though we lived in an apartment because there was such a need. Then we realized we loved it and so many dogs do just fine in our apartment. - What’s your favorite thing about fostering?
My favorite thing about fostering is knowing that Friends For Life can continue to save animals because we’ve kept one out of a kennel. Every dog we foster to adoption is another we can pull from kill shelters or take in off the streets! - What has been your toughest obstacle while fostering?
The toughest obstacle for Mike and I is our own dog, Zoey. She is so picky with what other dogs she will allow in the house. The first couples of weeks are always really tough for us because Zoey is still learning to accept the new dog. Also, breed restrictions within our apartment complex are a huge bummer.
Interested in fostering like Caleb and Katie? You can find out all the details on our Foster page.