Forsyth Humane Society has an incredible pet food pantry that supports the needs of those in our community who find themselves faced with the harsh question of, ‘will I have to surrender my pet if I cannot afford to feed it?’. Unfortunately, we hear this a lot. Perhaps is someone who has lost their job, who has experienced health issues and can no longer work, the situations are abundant and we don’t really ask questions, instead we show up and we support. Why? Because if we, through the help of pet food donations, can not only feed the pets in our care but also the pets in the community, that is one less pet that comes in our doors. That is one less pet that has to be surrendered due to unforeseen circumstances. That is one more person that can eat without giving their human food to their pet. We found through our partnership with Meals on Wheels that often people would feed their meals to their pets and go hungry themselves before letting their pet starve. We partnered with a local scout troop who comes to our pet food pantry, gets food and packages it for Meals on Wheels. The route runners know who has animals and in addition to providing food daily, they provide pet food when needed. Additionally, we have partners who pickup food from us and distribute all over Forsyth County to organizations as seen on the map below: All our Pet Food Pantry Partners support many elements of care in Forsyth County not just of pets but the people who love them. It’s how we practice the Wellness of Companionship, it’s how we lean into the heart of our organization, Compassion. As much as we love pets, we don’t want anymore coming into our shelter so a piece of our work is on keeping pets and families together and reducing the barriers that may be in place forcing peoples hands to surrender the pets that they love. If you or someone you know is in need of pet food, please connect with some of our partners to organize a time to pickup pet food. Written by Kristen Williams
It’s amazing what 9 days of love and care can do!
Erin is our amazing animal placement manager at Forsyth Humane Society. Not only does she find great homes and rescues for our animals, she is also a kitten foster. Erin recently fostered eight week old Artemis and her littermate, Apollo, who came to FHS with upper respiratory infections (kitty cold). The kittens were congested, lethargic, and their eyes looked puffy. Erin says “I love fostering kittens 8 weeks or older because it works with my full-time job. They keep each other company while I’m at work, playing and napping together.” She fed and medicated each kitten before and after work. They received an oral liquid once daily and an eye ointment twice daily. Erin began to see improvement with Artemis’ eyes within two days, and her energy levels perked up. Artemis became more playful, interactive and started to chow down on her food. She also discovered her tail during this time – which she frequently chases! Erin says “I feel lucky to have played a part in their journeys to their furever homes. When Artemis and Apollo get adopted, I’ll be ready for more fosters!” At Forsyth Humane Society, a foster is someone who temporarily cares for an animal in need. They provide love, attention, and care until the animal is ready to come back to the Adoption Center. Foster care is typically a commitment of 1 – 2 weeks, unless the animal has a special need. All supplies and medical care are provided. During Kitten Season, fosters are crucial to Forsyth Humane Society’s goal of achieving a 90% Save Rate by 2023. If you are interested in becoming a foster, you can sign up here!
Our new website and blog has launched!
We have a new website! We are so excited about the launch of our redesigned website. It now boasts a clean and intuitive design and consistent site-wide navigation. FHS improved the menu functionality so you can get to the information that is most relevant to you. Our site is also fully responsive with mobile devices, so you can access our information on the go. Online giving has been revamped and will save you time. Making a gift is fast and accessible from any device. One change that we are particularly excited about is the improved categorization of our animals. Now you can quickly see which animals are available for adoption and which ones are on our stray/hold list and waiting for their owners to reclaim them. The best part is, our animal viewing pages are mobile friendly now! Finally, we have a new blog space where we will be sharing inspiring and educational stories around animal adoption, foster care stories, and animal resources. Soon you’ll be able to browse our site and view animals that are in need of a foster home. We’re working on developing additional educational blogs to help provide animal care topics that are important to you and residents of Forsyth County. We’re really proud of our new website and feel it will create the experience you’re looking for when you pay us a visit. You can check out our new site at https://forsythhumane.org/. A very special thank you and shout out to Chris Shore from the Signal Company, who donated his time and made our new website possible! Thank you for your support and thank you for helping us #savefursyth!
Artemis’ Amazing Transformation
You can be the reason homeless dogs like Artemis find their happy ending! Artemis was found with raw and irritated skin, out on her own. Forsyth County Animal Services brought her in from the cold. She was transferred to our care, and given a warm place to sleep and plenty of food to eat. She entered our life-saving foster program with a treatment plan prescribed by our vet. After Artemis’ skin healed, she spent ten days at our adoption center being loved by our amazing volunteers. Then Artemis was adopted! FHS can deliver happy endings for sick and vulnerable cats and dogs because of your support. With our goal of increasing the save rate of all shelter dogs and cats in Forsyth County to 90% by 2023, we are committed to changing the future of animal welfare in our community. In 2018 with your help, we moved the save rate from 36% to 71%. Your monthly gift will help us save more dogs like Artemis. $10 per month will buy 10 cans of wet puppy food for our foster program. Partner with us, give monthly, and change a life. #SAVEFURSYTH.
Life Saving Foster Families
Life Saving Foster Families Diane has been fostering homeless pets for the past three years and has fostered over 80 animals. During her time fostering for Forsyth Humane Society, she has saved 43 lives, including animals with special needs. “Fostering is showing a dog or cat who was once abused or neglected, a loving hand to help them open up and see how wonderful it is to be loved. It is a way to help by preparing them for their new forever family,” said Diane. Diane finds the experience rewarding. She sees the transition from scared or neglected to snuggling on the recliner and learning how to interact with her other animals. Diane says, “There is no better feeling than looking into your foster’s eyes and seeing how much they love you.” Saying goodbye can be the most difficult part of fostering. Diane says after your first couple of experiences, it does get easier to watch them start their next journey. She says even though parting ways can be difficult, “with the sadness comes reward and happiness.” Diane is a proud foster mom of many shelter furbabies. She says “Experiencing a pet who is learning to love and trust again, who was once in a neglected situation, is something magical to watch.” Click here and join Diane today by signing up to be a foster family for Forsyth Humane Society. A message to Diane’s fosters: “You have made me a better person and I appreciate the opportunity to have been a part of your lives”! Fostering is free and FHS provides all supplies and medical care. Invite one of our shelter pets to crash with you for just two weeks today at www.forsythhumane.org/foster.
