Half the dogs at Marin Humane need a foster home. The Novato-based nonprofit, which serves all of Marin County including San Rafael, is asking residents to help, even for a single night.
The shelter held 354 animals as of Tuesday, Aug. 25, with only 35 of its 74 dogs and puppies placed in foster homes, the Pacific Sun reported. The remaining 39 dogs sit in kennels waiting for a temporary family or a permanent adopter.
"Even the nicest shelter is still a shelter, and it's not a home," Lisa Bloch, Marin Humane's communications director, told the Pacific Sun. "Shelters can be loud, and that's stressful."
The shelter's foster program lets volunteers take a dog home for as little as one night. Foster families report back on how the dog behaves on walks, around other dogs and with strangers. Adoption manager Catherine Tryon then uses that information to match dogs with the right adopter.
The program's impact showed in the story of Lucy, a 6-year-old, 29-pound pug mix found alone in an Applebee's parking lot in Petaluma. After no one claimed her within the required five-day waiting period, Lucy spent a month in a kennel at Marin Humane, passed over by potential adopters. Once placed in a foster home, she decompressed enough to show her true personality on walks and with strangers. A family of four, two parents and two young adults, adopted her.
Marin Humane's animal population has grown steadily this summer. The shelter reported 334 animals in its care on Aug. 5 and 346 by Aug. 12, according to its volunteer newsletters. The number reached 354 less than two weeks later.
Residents interested in fostering can sign up at marinhumane.org/foster. The shelter's main campus is at 171 Bel Marin Keys Blvd. in Novato, reachable at (415) 883-4621.
Upcoming at Marin Humane:
- Saturday, Aug. 29: 15th annual Bay Area Pignic, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the back lawn at the Novato campus. Features a cavy costume contest, vegetable eating contest, bake sale and adoptable guinea pigs.
