We are a household with 4 pets (3 dogs & 1 cat), add 2 kids under 6. Feeling claustrophobic yet? Just wait…
I had the brilliant idea to volunteer my family as pet fosters for the Quad City Animal Welfare Center, located in Milan, IL, and the experience has exceeded what we thought volunteering in this way would mean to us.
In celebration of June being ‘Foster Pet Awareness Month’ I wanted to share the 3 things gained through our exciting journey as a foster pet family:
- Fills Our Bucket – The experience serving an organization that is saving the lives of animals, that might not have been so lucky, has been so rewarding! It is teaching philanthropy, giving back & encouraging our kids to begin exploring what they might be passionate about volunteering for in the future.
- Learning Change – I think we’ve said we ‘LOVE’ every single animal that has come into our home, and though it’s temporary, it doesn’t make it any easier to say goodbye. Through this, our children are learning how to navigate change. Preparing to let go is eased by talking about why we are helping these animals, and seeing the happiness brought to someone else adopting a pet they helped care for.
- Dialogs About Being Unique – Some animals we’ve cared for have physical or cognitive disabilities. This has created another important avenue in our conversation tool-kit, to discuss overcoming challenges and that everyone is unique, and has amazing qualities and strengths!
With becoming a foster pet family, the beauty is we get to decide what works for us, including age range, pet type & responsibility level. We also contribute to the instant gratification of giving into the kid’s puppy / kitten fever, and the secret delight as parents knowing we are most certainly not keeping a litter of SIX kittens! The shelter provides many other opportunities to share animal & caring experiences as well — virtual fostering, dog walking, monetary & supply donations, reading to the animals, and of course there’s always the option to consider adopting!
Whether you decide giving your time to one of the many local animal shelters or volunteer for other non-profit organizations in our community, there are so many positive benefits! Not only are we helping uplift our community, but the opportunities for growth mindset within our family is what has made our experience so unexpectedly special.
Become a QCAWC Foster!
The Quad City Animal Welfare Center is looking for volunteers to foster kittens, puppies, mommas, and adult animals. Animals may be placed in foster homes for a variety of reasons: Illness, injury, too young for adoption, etc. By offering your time, energy, love, and home to an animal in need, you help prepare them for adoption into a permanent home. You also create valuable space in the shelter to accommodate other animals. Fostering may be needed anywhere from a few days to a few months! Just let us know what works for you!
The Quad City Animal Welfare will supply you with all the resources – you supply the LOVE!
If you would like more information regarding fostering please contact the Quad City Animal Welfare Center at 309-787-6830 Option #1. You can also email Amber, the Cat Care Manager at amber@qcawc.org or Shayenne, the Dog Care Manager at shayenne@qcawc.org.
If you are interested in fostering please fill out and submit the QCAWC Foster Application.
About the Quad City Animal Welfare Center
Quad City Animal Welfare Center has been saving animals one life at a time since 1977.
The mission of the QCAWC is to operate a shelter for homeless animals, to offer a spay and neuter program, and provide humane education. They are the only full-service, no-kill shelter serving the Quad-Cities area.
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