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The original item was published from 4/1/2016 2:31:00 PM to 4/4/2016 12:08:31 PM.

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Animal Services

Posted on: April 1, 2016

[ARCHIVED] Animal Shelter Seeks Foster Parents as ‘Kitten Season’ Approaches

photo of kitten

Loudoun County Animal Services (LCAS) is seeking foster parents in preparation for the seasonal flood of kittens and young animals that will enter the Loudoun County Animal Shelter this spring. “Becoming a foster parent for a shelter pet in need is a rewarding and memorable family experience,” said Nicole Falceto, LCAS Community Relations Manager. “As they say, helping one animal won’t change the world, but it will change the world for that one animal.”

Falceto invites the public to learn more about “changing the world, one kitten at a time,” by attending the LCAS Foster Orientation Tuesday, April 5, 2016, at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Room at Ashburn Farm Association, 21400 Windmill Drive in Ashburn. The orientation is designed for families and individuals interested in learning more about the LCAS Foster Program. Anyone planning to attend the orientation is asked to RSVP by email to LCASfosters@loudoun.gov.

From spring to fall, large numbers of homeless kittens are born into the Loudoun community. LCAS strives to care for and adopt these young pets but needs the support of foster families for companion animals too young to adopt.

Foster families are needed for kittens, including neonatal kittens that are less than three weeks old and need to be fed by bottle every two hours. Foster parents help raise kittens through their early life stages until they are able to return to the shelter for adoption. Foster parents also are needed for cats, puppies, dogs and other shelter pets.

Fostering is an important part of the adoption process. It helps companion animals feel more comfortable, prevents stress induced illnesses, and ensures they are well adjusted to a home environment. Foster commitments can be as short as a few days to a few weeks with no required minimum or long term commitments.

In 2015, LCAS worked with 41 foster parents to save and adopt 249 animals. This year, the shelter hopes to expand the number of foster parents to at least 55.

More information about the Animal Foster Care Program is online at www.loudoun.gov/animals/fostercare.

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Contact: Nicole Falceto, LCAS Community Relations Manager, 703-737-8097, [email protected]