Open your home to a furry friend

The dog days of summer have arrived and Philly’s furry friends are looking for forever homes.

The Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society, known as PAWS, is hoping to help homeless pets find a loving home through its month-long initiative called Everyday Heroes: Foster Challenge.

To help combat overcrowded shelters, including PAWS’ adoption center at 2900 Grays Ferry Ave. in South Philly, the nonprofit is making an urgent call to place 150 pets into foster homes through July 20.

“Foster homes are more important than ever, and there’s no greater feeling than opening your home temporarily for a pet in need,” says Tammy Miller, PAWS’ senior foster and adoption manager. “With so many animals relying on us, our goal to place 150 pets in foster homes this month is ambitious, but entirely achievable with community support.”

The initiative aims to recruit both seasoned fosters and those who are willing to give it a try for the first time. Throughout the month, PAWS will provide information on pet fostering, host tabling events across the city, share powerful foster success stories, all in an effort to encourage community members to step forward.

PAWS provides foster parents with everything needed to ensure a successful and rewarding experience. Each foster animal is carefully matched with a foster parent by PAWS’ Adoptions and Foster Team based on lifestyle, experience and household considerations, including resident pets. PAWS covers all medical care for foster animals and offers consistent communication and support throughout the fostering journey. Supplies such as food, cat litter, toys, enrichment supplies and leashes are also provided as needed.

For those who can’t help foster, there are plenty of other ways to help PAWS reach its goal.

PAWS relies on donor supplies like large quantities of wet and dry food, cat litter and other essential items for animals both in the shelter and in foster homes. The public is encouraged to send items through PAWS’ Foster Program Wishlist, which ensures PAWS has the supplies needed to set up fosters for success.

Monetary donations are also crucial to helping PAWS provide veterinary and supportive care for all animals rescued. One of the simplest and most effective ways to support the foster program is by engaging with PAWS’ social media accounts on Instagram, Facebook and BlueSky. PAWS posts daily updates featuring specific animals in need of foster homes, urgent supply needs and success stories. Liking, commenting and sharing these posts helps broaden reach and increases the chances of connecting pets with the homes they need.

To join the cause and become a hero for pets in need, sign up to foster at phillypaws.org/foster.

“Fostering saves lives, especially during the warm months when homeless animals flood our city’s shelters,” Miller said. “Every person who opens their home during PAWS’ Everyday Heroes: Foster Challenge becomes a hero to two animals: the one they foster and the one we’re able to rescue because a space has opened.”