Summer is here and Coachella Valley temperatures are soaring. The suffering and heat stroke experienced by animals discarded outdoors means animal rescue organizations must work harder and faster to save them. The snowbirds who foster homeless dogs and cats for Loving All Animals have left for cooler climates. However, the homeless animals keep coming, abandoned in the desert or relinquished at our county shelter.
Loving All Animals seeks to recruit additional foster homes to replace the annual snowbird exodus. A viable foster system that “expands the walls” of our shelters is an essential component to create a “No Kill” Coachella Valley.
Marie Marcinko is pictured here with Paloma, her 50th foster dog. A retired nurse, this animal lover is dedicated to saving homeless dogs by fostering for Loving All Animals.
Marie wishes more of her fellow retirees would consider fostering. She challenges the notion that “giving them up would make me too sad.” Marie explains, “I can’t put into words how much I love to foster, and how much each little pup adds to my life. I get so much inner joy knowing I am a stepping stone to getting them to a new life. The love and purpose these dogs bring to my life overcomes any temporary sadness when they leave.”
Cat and kitten fosters are needed as well. Because of our extreme heat, cats here can go through three breeding seasons a year, compared to only one breeding season in colder locations. It’s almost always kitten season in the Coachella Valley.
To open your heart and home to foster a precious dog or cat, contact Loving All Animals at (760) 834-7000 or visit lovingallanimals.org.
