Emergency Fostering During the Pandemic: Takeaways for a Post-Pandemic World

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization deemed the coronavirus outbreak a worldwide pandemic, and subsequently a nationwide emergency was declared in the United States. During this time, media outlets reported increased interest in foster caregiving and adoption of shelter pets. In this session, the presenters describe our exploration of canine foster caregiving at 19 US animal shelters during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, they focus on key takeaways for foster recruitment, trial adoption programs, caregiving practices, and behavioral support that can be utilized in our post-pandemic world.

This presentation was recorded at the 2022 ASPCA Maddie's Cornell Shelter Medicine Conference.

Presenters: Lisa Gunter, PhD, MA, CBCC-KA and Erica Feuerbacher, PhD, BCBA-D, CAAB, CPDT-KA

This program has been pre-approved for 1.0 Certified Animal Welfare Administrator continuing education credits by The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement and by the National Animal Care & Control Association. 

keywords veterinary medicine, shelter medicine, veterinary research, canine research, animal foster care, pet fostering, emergency foster care, pandemic, animal well-being, 022 ASPCA Maddie's Cornell Shelter Medicine Conference, coronavirus, canine foster care, canine sheltering, foster recruitment, trial adoption programs, caregiving practices, canine behavioral support, shelter operations