Foster parent Michelle Dominique Aris did not know how much of an impact she would have on the animals at the shelter when she started, or how much they would impact her.
Photo taken by Michelle Aris outside on her acreage in Indus.
Three years ago Michelle Aris signed up to be a foster parent through the Calgary Humane Society. “I saw that there was a big increase in animals without homes, a lot of animals were being surrendered, the Humane Society put out an urgent call for people to open up their homes to create space in the shelter,” foster parent Michelle Dominique Aris said while explaining why she joined the foster program.
“By offering a temporary home, foster parents provide a safe, quiet, and less stressful environment for these animals, far away from the hustle and bustle of the shelter,” Suzan Fletcher, Foster Manager for the Calgary Humane Society informs us on the importance of animals having a temporary home.
Michelle believes that foster animals have room to grow and succeed in a foster home environment before they are adopted into their forever homes. “Many dogs need to be in a loving home to thrive rather than the shelter,” said Michelle. A pet project study done by CBS shows that short-term fostering increases a dog’s chance of being adopted by fourteen times “We’ve had ten of our foster dogs be adopted,” Michelle shared with a happy smile.
Why are people fostering animals so important? Why should people take their time and open their homes for animals from the shelter? “Fostering gives a lot of animals a second chance, animals that may be displaying behaviors purely over being over-stressed,” Michelle explains.
“They may have come from a situation of abuse, or maybe they were hurt, and their owner could not afford the vet bill. There are so many reasons why animals come into the shelter.”
Fostering is something that helps thousands of animals a year. Over 4,000 animals were brought into the Calgary Humane Society in 2024. 41 per cent of those animals came from surrenders. Fostering makes more room for animals who need to be brought into the shelter. “Animals in the shelter, particularly cats, dogs, and small critters, can be stressed by the noise, the constant movement, and the unfamiliar faces. Foster homes provide these animals with the space and time to relax, decompress, and truly enjoy their time with humans,” Fletcher expresses.
Being a foster parent like Michelle may feel like a challenge, there isn’t enough time, it’s too much work and so on, but if you give fostering a chance, you may be surprised. You will also be able to make a difference in local animal’s lives. Besides, you may just find a furever furry friend yourself in the process. “I would say to anybody who’s ever thought about fostering, you should definitely try it. The amount of good you get back in return, the cuddles, kisses, purpose, and happiness for the work you put in is worth it. The shelter takes care of vet bills, food and toys for the animals, all you have to do is provide your love and time,” Michelle says, sending an encouraging message to those thinking about becoming a foster parent for a local shelter.