Animal rescues partner for Lowcountry Foster Fair Sunday

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Animals shelters in the Lowcountry teamed up Sunday to host foster fairs around the Tri-County.

The four organizations, Charleston Animal Society, Berkeley Animal Center, Pet Helpers and Dorchester Paws, say fostering animals expands the capacity of the shelters while giving the animal relief from the stress of shelter life.

“Our area shelters do an amazing job saving lives and fostering is a key to the lifesaving success we see in the Lowcountry,” Pet Helpers Animal Behavior Manager Alexis Kaul said.

The shelters encouraged people to learn about fostering opportunities with the shelters for dogs and cats.

Organizers say they are looking for “BFFs,” or the Best Friends Foster Program, for animals in need of behavioral evaluation and support.

“The most frequent behavioral challenges we need assistance with include high-energy/inappropriate play, fear-based behaviors and general anxiety,” Berkeley County Animal Center Event Coordinator Tiffany Hoffman said.

The foster program provides insight into the foster animal’s true behavior away from stressors in the shelter.

Officials from the Charleston Animal Society say they are looking for kitten fosters because they have kittens flooding in during the busy summer season, even for just a couple of weeks. They also said it is the height of the busy adult dog season. They are looking for homes to take care of them and gather information on them to help find them the best home.

“We’re not gonna force you to keep it,” Foster and Rescue Manager Christina Ellwood said. “I feel like a lot of people are like, you know, if I foster, they’re gonna want me to probably, you know, make it my forever pet and absolutely not. Actually, what we would prefer is that you continue fostering, like help find that animal a home and just continue fostering.”

It does not cost anything to foster, and the Charleston Animal Society says they try to provide fosters with everything they need, like food, leashes, and collars. The foster fair comes as shelters across the state remain at overcapacity.

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