From St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center
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, at St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center, they have a plan for shelter pets who haven’t found a home by Dec. 24th.
Through 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!
Susan Mowers-Zuckerman of Morristown brought home six year-old Mini Pinscher mix Rose on Wednesday from St. Hubert’s Madison shelter.
Rose was found as a stray in South Carolina, and transferred to St. Hubert’s last month from Friends of Aiken Animal Shelter in Aiken, South Carolina. Susan, a longtime foster pet parent, brought two of her four dogs in to meet Rose before bringing her home for the holidays.
“It’s great because it gives them a chance to get out of the shelter,’ she said of fostering for the holidays. “And it gives them more opportunities for socialization, which helps them get ready to be adopted.”
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 a 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 at www.sthuberts.org/foster.
About St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center
Founded in 1939, St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center operates a renowned dog training center and three adoption centers 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 spay/neuter of community cats, a pet helpline, and 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. For more information, please visit St.Huberts.org, and follow St. Hubert’s on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
