For many college students, owning a dog is a dream true. However, most students can not meet the full time needs of owning man’s best friend.

The Lee County Humane Society (LCHS) offers a program where volunteers become foster homes to animals, mainly puppies, in the Lee County area while they find a permanent home.

Currently the shelter has approximately 40 puppies and dogs available for adoption, according to Becky Thomas, the LCHS foster coordinator.

A foster parent provides a temporary home for kittens, puppies, dogs, cats or other animals in need.
The length of fostering can vary from a few days to several months depending on the amount of care or behavioral modification needed.The devotion and care given during this time allows the animal a second chance to be adopted by a loving home.

All dogs are found in the Lee County area including Auburn, Opelika and the surrounding rural areas.

“There are around four homes fostering right now, but we definitely need more,” says Thomas.

To become a foster parent, visit LCHS to fill out an application. The minimum time to keep an animal is two to four weeks.

The potential foster parent must be at least 19 years old and have proper documentation if they rent their residence.

If keeping the dog or puppy outside, a fenced-in yard and dog house is required.

The foster home provides daily needs such as food, water and shelter and transportation for medical needs.
Temporary foster families are needed for a variety of reasons. The three most common reasons are, according to Pets 911:

1.Limited shelter space
The number of animals received at a shelter at one time can lead to overcrowding and inadequate housing.

Foster homes provide shelters with an additional option until a space becomes available.

2.Treatment and care after an illness or injury
Foster parents provide sick and injured animals with the additional time, medication, and space needed to recover.

This may include time to recover from emotional or stress based situations that the animal may have encountered in the past.

3.Extremely young animals
Young animals, such as kittens and puppies, which are not yet weaned, require special attention that the shelter cannot provide.

“I decided to become a foster parent to help save a life,” Katie Reynolds, a future foster parent, says. “I've sent in the application and waiting now. Its nice to have someone waiting on you, wagging his tail, when you get home.”

Without the additional time and care provided by foster homes, many of the animals that fall into these three categories will be euthanized.

Most of the animals in foster care at LCHS are puppies due to disease and vaccines they might obtain at the shelter.

Heart worm treated dogs are also potential foster dogs. After the surgery, dogs need time to heal in a stress-free, loving environment.

Other dogs are fostered for special needs, such as if they are not adjusting well and need some extra care and attention outside the shelter.

Around 30 more dogs are at the facility in the holding section. Dogs are placed here if they are a stray (held for seven days) as well as if the owner surrenders a dog. They must go through an observation period before the adoption process begins.

The Lee County Humane Society is located at 1140 Ware Dr.