Eugene, OR (January 28, 2020) – In 2019, Greenhill Humane Society cared for over 3,600 animals, a record number for the shelter in recent years. Volunteer foster families helped care for 626 of those animals. In 2020, Greenhill anticipates even more animals to come through the shelter, which will require more foster homes.
“With our new shelter, we have increased the number of animals that we can care for, but we still need volunteer foster families to help,” says Kristi Chizacky, Greenhill’s Foster Care Manager. “We would love to recruit 40 to 50 new families this year.”
That is why Greenhill is hosting a Foster Program Open House on Saturday, February 1 from 12 to 2 p.m. Animal lovers will be able to learn more about Greenhill’s foster program, what to expect as a first-time foster, the many rewards of the program and how fostering saves animals’ lives.
Foster families make an enormous contribution to Greenhill and the animals of Lane County. Greenhill foster parents open their hearts and homes to many types of animals such as kittens, puppies, rabbits, nursing moms with babies and adult animals recovering from surgery or illness. Greenhill provides all of the supplies, including food, medication and veterinarian consultations. Foster stays can vary from two weeks to several months, depending on the animal’s needs and the foster parent’s availability.
Greenhill’s foster program helps animals receive the care and love they need, like Linus, a 5 week old kitten that was transferred to Greenhill from another animal shelter. When he arrived, he was small for his age and had a neurological disorder called Cerebellar Hypoplasia. This disease occurs from birth and causes lifelong problems with motor skills and coordination, such as wobbly walking, head bobbing when eating and difficulty jumping. Even with his special needs, Greenhill’s staff noticed Linus was sweet and friendly. Linus went to two foster homes where he received love and support to help gain his confidence. Throughout his stays he was observed by our veterinarian and also treated for an upper respiratory infection. When it was time for Linus to go up for adoption, his foster family couldn’t let him go! They love how the Cerebellar Hypoplasia doesn’t slow him down so they adopted him!
Linus is just one of the many animals that get a second chance at love thanks to Greenhill’s foster families. See photos and video of Linus’ journey here.
If people would like to help the animals of Greenhill in other ways, they can donate through Greenhill’s wish list or through a financial donation.
For more information on Greenhill Humane Society and the Foster Program Open House, please visit https://www.green-hill.org.
About Greenhill Humane Society
Greenhill Humane Society has been caring for animals in Lane County since 1944. It is a private, non-profit organization that relies on charitable donations. Greenhill is located at 88530 Green Hill Road in Eugene. We envision a community in which all companion animals have loving homes and are treated with compassion and respect.
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