Foster parents have cared for 562 animals in partnership with the Seattle Animal Shelter in 2022. That’s a lot of people, appointments, supplies and meetings. All managed and cared for by 20 volunteer leads who liaise with veterinary questions, care and support for foster families and potential adopters.
Thanks to the focused donations of this year’s Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation Furevermore, the shelter leads are going to get some help.
This year’s fundraising gala will be providing for a new position of Foster Coordinator for the Seattle Animal Shelter.
“We’re excited that the foster parents will have the support they so desperately need,” said SAS Animal Care Manager Tracy Bahrakis. “And to have someone who will be the consistent communicator. Anxiety and guilt doesn’t feel good, and our foster parents give so freely of themselves, their homes, their love – we should do better by them, but in current structure we just don’t have capacity for it.”
The new coordinator won’t take over for the leads, but rather will provide better communication between the foster program and the animal care manager, shelter behaviorist, veterinary team and field services team, which handles cases. The position basically will provide one point of communication between the foster program’s many stakeholders and shelter staff units.
The foster program at SAS is around 20 years old, and it’s a fairly recent development that adoptable animals have been able to move into foster homes. The shelter also can put animals taken during law enforcement cases into foster homes, which is “absolutely amazing for the animals,” Bahrakis said.
“As much as we work so hard to make the shelter environment a comfortable place for animals to live, we struggle with a few things, such as choice and control over what happens, providing social interaction, and reducing stress,” said Dr. Sheila Segurson, DVM, a behavioral consultant for the shelter. “Homes are generally a lot less stressful and more happy. Less scary noises, less weird smells, less stressed animals, more comfort, more play, and more love.”
During COVID shutdowns, the shelter needed to limit staffing so the vast majority of animals needed to move to foster. And the Seattle community stepped up.
“There were over 250 small animals, and our foster parents just showed up in force. There were so many parents who helped take care of this … to take pressure off the shelter,” Bahrakis said.
Bringing in the Foster Coordinator supports this move toward creating a more robust program.
“(We’re working to) shore up what we have and continue to build,” Bahrakis said. “While we do our very best, a shelter is no place for an animal to stay long term. (We want to create) a more sustainable foster program, the best we can do for animals in our community.”
And beyond that, the scope of the Foster Coordinator role could expand even into community engagement, giving new audiences a voice in animal welfare and inspiring new people to volunteer.
“There’s room for us to reach out to more underserved communities, to folks who may not know that we are their shelter, that we have these opportunities in-home and in shelter to volunteer.”
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To support the Seattle Animal Shelter’s new foster coordinator position and the many animals in need, the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation hosted the 2022 Furevermore Auction and Gala. Thanks to all of our supporters, donors, and volunteers for the outstanding evening.