Support Oklahoma’s Unwanted Pets with The Bella Foundation

“Our local animal shelter serves more than 24,000 pets each year. Without the help of local rescue partnerships many of these dogs would face euthanasia due to pet overpopulation in Oklahoma and there being nowhere for them to go. Bella SPCA, with the help of our foster homes, is able to help place around 1,000 pets from the shelter each year. There are many rescues like us that do the same so we can see a brighter future for Oklahoma’s unwanted pets. We could not save the animals we do or continue to save them without the help of our foster homes. They are the most important asset to our organization and our gratitude for them can never be expressed through words alone. We always need more homes willing to help us save the pets in need in our community. It’s a never-ending battle that we are determined to see the end of in Oklahoma!” Jolie Griffen, Operations Manager of Bella Foundation ASPCA.

Animal welfare is something that most people would agree is important, especially given the context of animal overpopulation in Oklahoma. Taking action to personally accept responsibility and to try and tackle this epidemic is a deeply personal decision that requires personal thought, research, and time. One way to help with this problem is to foster cats or dogs in your home for short periods of time. Researchers have found, being in foster homes as opposed to shelters,has the ability to significantly decrease the amount of stress experienced by dogs. Choosing to foster animals in your own home requires several careful considerations. Fostering for the Bella Foundation can help improve quality of life for both the pet and the human guardian, but it is also a big responsibility and commitment. 

While most of the time fostering dogs is a rewarding, fun process, families must also consider they may be taking care of animals who are in pain, untrained or unsocialized. The upside to this is that you can chose to foster animals that suit your lifestyle: if you have a busy schedule you may find that fostering cats with Bella isa perfect fit, or if you have time in your day and room in your heart you may find it extremely rewarding to help nurture animals from broken homes into a new life where they are loved and have trust in humans again. Some of the responsibilities foster parents have extend beyond taking day-to-day care of their foster, they should also consider they will have to devote some time as well to helping their temporary fur child find a forever home. Despite the amount of responsibility, the daunting task of fostering may seem at first, there is a way to make fostering work for you and your life, in a way that is beneficial for both you and your foster pet. Future foster parents should be prepared to have a household full of love, treats, and smiles ready!

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