SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Dakin Humane Society is currently looking for volunteers to help with an ongoing need.
The animal shelter told 22News that there is a significant uptick in pets arriving but the space there is limited and it’s better for pets to stay in an actual home before getting adopted.
According to the Dakin Humane Society, the pets most at risk are large dogs and adult cats. When they are surrendered to Dakin they experience the stress of losing their people and living in an unfamiliar shelter environment. Dogs can suffer from mental deterioration and boredom while adult cats feel a loss of family and home comfort which can lead to multiple health risks.
“It really is more like the environment they’re coming from. These animals they’re going through a lot of change and that can be difficult and stressful. They can have behaviors that they stop eating because they’re stressed out, so it’s just so much better for the animals to be in temporary foster homes and we are so grateful to the people that step up and reach out and help us provide that service,” said Megan Talbert, executive director at Dakin Humane Society.
When fosters take an animal into their home that pet can thrive in a setting that is healthier than a shelter, plus a foster home provides more care and monitoring than a shelter can.
Dakin said that if you have doubts about fostering a pet this summer because you have a vacation planned, they are happy to work around that.
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Heath Kalb is a reporter who has been a part of the 22News team since 2022. Follow Heath on X @HeathKalb and view his bio to see more of his work.