Fostering as flexible opportunity to love and help animals

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Fostering as flexible opportunity to love and help animals

Updated Dec 8, 2024

Dear Cathy,

I am writing in response to the woman a few weeks ago whose cat died “in God’s timeline,” and she was grateful she didn’t have to euthanize her cat. I had to make the decision twice in the last 20 years, and swore I would never do it again either. But I missed having a dog and the friendship, love and loyalty that comes with it.

So, I made the decision two years ago to start fostering dogs. I am up to number 36 and have never been happier. Each puppy or dog that has come to me is now living a great life in a forever home where they are loved and well cared for.

Every rescue needs fosters. Without foster families, rescue groups cannot pull from shelters, where many wonderful dogs end up being euthanized simply because there’s no home for them. The best part of fostering dogs is I am getting new dogs and puppies all the time. We all need to leave the world a better place and do what we can. I choose to save dogs and I’m a better person for it.

— Lisa Golden, Bellmore, New York, a foster for Ollies Angels Animal Rescue

Dear Lisa,

Thanks for sharing your story. Fostering dogs – and cats – is a great way to help companion animals and save lives. It’s a great volunteer opportunity for families who aren’t ready for a 10 to 15-year commitment and for people who want to help animals, but need a little more flexibility in their lives. Occasionally, people who foster even adopt the animals they are helping.

Thanks for sharing how you turned your grief into life-saving work, and for suggesting others give it a try.

Cathy M. Rosenthal is a longtime animal advocate, author, columnist and pet expert who has more than 25 years in the animal welfare field. Send your pet questions, stories and tips to moc.tidnuptepobfsctd-95bd76@yhtac. Please include your name, city, and state. You can follow her @cathymrosenthal

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Cathy Rosenthal (aka The Pet Pundit), CHES, CFE

Animal Welfare Communications Strategist, Writer & Educator

Cathy M. Rosenthal is an award-winning humane educator and author, animal welfare strategist, pet columnist, and speaker who has spent more than 38 years working in animal welfare with local and national humane organizations. She helps people better understand and care for animals through her nationally syndicated My Pet World column and has been the longtime pet columnist for the San Antonio Express-News since 2003.

In addition to her writing, Cathy develops humane education, leadership, customer service, and compassion fatigue training programs for animal welfare organizations nationwide, and has helped raise millions of dollars through grant writing, strategic communications, and program development.

Cathy is the editor and curator of Humane Perspectives: Leadership in Animal Welfare and is the author of several books, including Grant Writing Boot Camp for Animal Advocates, The Lucky Tale of Two Dogs, and The Happy Tale of Two Cats, which was the 2026 winner of the Association of Professional Humane Educators’ (APHE) "Educator’s Choice Award" for Best Humane Education Book for Young Children. She also received the 2026 APHE Nathania Gartman Heroes Award for Impact in Humane Education. Her humane education programs in Texas have reached more than 45,000 elementary school children since 2019.

She resides in Texas with her husband, their cat Sterling, and a former community cat, Maddie, who successfully negotiated an indoor living arrangement but still considers human affection highly negotiable.