ASPCA Sending Urgent Plea to New York City Residents for Foster Care

American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Tuesday, 7 May 2002

Help us save a life by providing temporary foster care to a cat or kitten.

The ASPCA is sending an urgent appeal to New Yorkers asking for their help with temporary care of mother cats and kittens until they can be placed for adoption. Due to limited holding space, the ASPCA and other shelters rely on foster caretakers to provide temporary care to orphaned, sick or injured animals. The need for foster caretakers is greatest in the spring, when shelters and rescue groups are flooded with litters of abandoned and unwanted kittens.

The ASPCA Foster Care program has saved the lives of many cats and dogs that would have not had a chance at adoption. Each year 40,000 animals are euthanized in NYC's municipal shelters; the majority of these animals are underage puppies and kittens that are not old enough to be adopted into homes. An application and training program are required and the caretaker is provided with needed supplies (food, kennel, medicine) Foster lengths can vary depending on the case. Some fosters can be as short as two weeks.

"If you haven't shared your time with a pet for awhile, or if you are thinking about adopting a pet in the future, foster care is a great opportunity," says ASPCA Foster Care Director Elizabeth White. "Our foster caretakers find great joy in knowing that they were responsible for giving an animal a second chance at a great life."

For more information about the ASPCA Foster Care program call: (212) 876-7700 x 4140 or log on to www.aspca.org. To locate a shelter or rescue group in your area, log on to the ASPCA's online adoption partner Petfinder.com.

For more information, or to contact American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, see their website at: www.aspca.org