By Lauren Puckett

In 2024, Humane Society of Loudoun County (HSLC) volunteers fostered over 200 animals, most of them cats. Though some of these cats were kittens, there were plenty of adult cats who also needed foster families. Kittens are often in demand because they are so cute and cuddly, but adults come with their own benefits. Here are four reasons to foster an adult cat:

Less Demanding of Your Time

Kittens, especially young ones, need regular supervision. They are often underfoot and can cause humans to trip or stumble, potentially injuring all involved. Newborn kittens have stringent feeding requirements and need to be bottle-fed every two to six hours. This can be quite time consuming for the foster family. An adult cat, on the other hand, usually eats kibble on its own schedule.

Little or No Training Needed

While a kitten needs to learn to use its litter box, adult cats are almost always potty-trained and ready to go. This saves valuable time and effort – and messes – for the foster family. Kittens also need curtain climbing and scratch training while adult cats usually do not.

Calmer Temperaments

Kittens can be rambunctious and destructive, while adult cats are generally much more settled. They typically don’t have the same play or exercise requirements as younger cats and are less likely to get themselves into trouble.

Lifesaving Potential

Finally, there’s something very rewarding about giving an older animal a second chance at a happy life. The cat you foster will be grateful to you for opening your heart and home to them. Because HSLC does not have a physical shelter, we can only save cats when we have a foster home to place them in. 

Are you ready to save a life? Learn more about fostering an adult cat on our website and complete a no-obligation application today!

The Humane Society of Loudoun County (HSLC) is a foster-based rescue—which means we do not operate a physical shelter. Every animal we save depends on the availability of a foster home. Without fosters, we simply can’t take in animals in need. And right now, in 2025, we haven’t been able to take in a single new dog—due to a severe shortage of safe landings.

That’s where you come in.

Fostering is more than just providing a temporary place to crash. It’s a lifeline. It’s the bridge between what an animal’s life was—whether they were abandoned, neglected, surrendered, or at risk in a kill shelter—and the life they deserve in a loving, forever home.

Fostering:

• Helps animals decompress from the stress of shelters
• Increases their chances of being adopted
• Teaches them what love, safety, and routine look like
• Saves lives—literally

And here’s the best part: HSLC covers all medical care, and we’ll match you with a mentor who will support you every step of the way.

Fostering is also flexible. Whether you’re not ready for a long-term commitment or simply want to experience the joy of having a pet in your home, fostering gives you that opportunity.

Right now, we need dog fosters more than ever. Dogs who are waiting in shelters are counting on us—but we can’t say “yes” to them until someone like you says “yes” to fostering.

Please consider becoming a foster hero. You can fill out our no-obligation application here, or help us by spreading the word. Every share makes a difference.

Thank you for being part of the village it takes to save lives.

By Uchenna C. Okeke

Many people hesitate to foster because they fear becoming attached. If you’ve ever thought about fostering a rescued animal, this concern may have crossed your mind. But, is this fear of attachment really a reason to hold you back from fostering? What you discover may change your mind forever.

Attachment is Strength

Attachment isn’t a weakness, it’s a strength! It means you’re making an impact. It shows you have the love and compassion to change an animal’s life. Fostering isn’t just about providing food and shelter; it’s about offering love, stability, and care to an animal in need. The bond you form isn’t something to fear, it’s part of the journey.

As dog and cat foster caregiver, Blaire, puts it: “You get attached because you have a big heart. But part of loving them is wanting to see them find THEIR people, and understanding that if you keep them, you can’t help more. Always go into it knowing this is only temporary, ‘goodbye is the goal.’ The peace of knowing they found their forever home really does quell the sadness of letting go.”

Every Goodbye Means Another Life Saved

Letting go is never easy, but it can be deeply rewarding. Each time you foster, you not only help one cat or dog, but you also make space for another animal in need. The beauty of fostering lies in this ongoing cycle of love and rescue.

While goodbyes can be tough, remember that your role as a foster parent is key to saving lives. And if you find the perfect match for your family, adoption with HSLC is also an option! Many fosters choose to adopt, and that’s part of the journey, too.

Why Foster?

Fostering is a powerful way to make a difference in the lives of animals. It offers pets love, care, and a secure environment – often something they have never experienced before. By opening your home, you help them build confidence and develop social skills, preparing them for their future forever family.

Diane, who has been fostering for 20 years, says: “Fostering allows me to save a homeless dog. Every time I bring one in, I’m not just helping them – I’m also creating space for another dog at the shelter (or rescue). Without fosters, rescues wouldn’t have the ability to take in more animals. That’s the core of why fostering is so vital.” 

Diane’s experience highlights how the impacts of fostering far surpass the difficulty of saying goodbye.

Flexible Fostering Options

Fostering can fit into various lifestyles. Whether you can commit long-term or just for a short time, every effort matters. Consider these options:

• Short-term fosters: If you can only foster for a few weeks, you can still make a huge difference.
• Vacation fosters: Providing a temporary home for a dog or cat while another foster is out of town is a great way to test-drive fostering.
• Fospice foster: Giving a senior or terminally ill dog or cat love and comfort in their final months is often seen as a privilege.

Will You Foster?

The Humane Society of Loudoun County is only able to save a handful of dogs in any given year because of a shortage of fosters. And yet, there are so many dogs that are waiting for their second chances. The only thing standing in their way is available foster homes. Will you be their hero?

Contact us at foster@humaneloudoun.org for more information about fostering or visit the HSLC website to learn more and complete a no-obligation application.

Throughout the month of April, the Humane Society of Loudoun County has been running an awareness campaign called “Who are the Fosters in Your Neighborhood?*” The goal? To shine a well-deserved spotlight on our fabulous fosters and inspire others to join their life-saving ranks. Our fosters come from all walks of life and truly are…the people that you meet each day!

Here are just some of the fosters in your neighborhood…

Amy

Andi and BJ

Michelle

Mirella

Kelly

Alex

Katharina

Melissa

Carol

Valerie

Sasha

Muppet Foster

If you are thinking about giving fostering a try, our Animal Care Director and Foster Coordinator, Amy Richards, offers this guidance, “Reach out and ask questions by emailing us at foster@humaneloudoun.org. We are always happy to share experiences and advice. Yes, the goodbyes are difficult. But, go into it knowing that goodbye is the goal. We are the jumping off point into their new life.”

To learn more about fostering, visit our website. And, if you are ready to save a life, complete a no-obligation application online today!

*To catch up on our foster campaign and other updates, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

By Lauren Puckett

Did you know that the Humane Society of Loudoun County (HSLC) adopted out over 150 cats and dogs in 2023? And, because HSLC is a foster-based organization, we relied on dozens of people — just like you — to provide a safe landing for these animals until they could find their forever homes.

However, some of our foster families need a little help – particularly when they are out of town and unable to take their foster pets with them. That’s where YOU come in! Here are a few reasons you may want to consider becoming a vacation foster for HSLC.

It’s a great way to try out fostering

If you’ve ever thought about becoming a foster but weren’t sure if it’s right for you, vacation fostering is the perfect low-commitment opportunity. It usually lasts for a short time – a weekend to a week – and can help you learn if fostering is a good fit for your household.

It’s best for the animal

Our preference is to keep animals in a low-stress environment. The alternative is temporary boarding which is expensive and takes funding away from other critical needs. Plus, it may be less enjoyable for our foster pets who are used to the comforts of a home.

It can help us learn about the animal

Vacation fosters provide a unique opportunity to observe an animal’s behavior in a new setting. As a temporary foster parent, you may gather additional information about a foster animal’s likes and dislikes. And, because your household may have a different mix of 2 and 4-legged residents, you’ll be able to observe how the foster animal interacts with them. This knowledge can be very helpful in finding a forever home most suited to the animal.

Ready to try out vacation fostering? Contact our Foster Coordinator at foster@humaneloudoun.org or complete a foster application today!

By Oliver Bittenbender

Caring for any foster animal can be a very rewarding experience. We recently published a blog about the reasons to foster an adult cat (vs. kittens). But we wanted to follow up with a foster story to bring these benefits to life.

Jill’s Story

During the pandemic, Jill Belsky adopted two fully grown cats. In her words, “I loved that we could adopt cats that had a rough past and provide them with a fresh beginning.” Jill loved the cats so much that she wanted to welcome more into her home. But, with a human family to care for, she couldn’t take in and keep as many cats as she wanted.

So, Jill found a clever compromise, “I thought fostering could be a great way to enjoy being with more cats, while also providing a beneficial service for animals in need.” So, she signed up to be a foster caregiver with the Humane Society of Loudoun County (HSLC). And, given that she already had a great experience with adult cats in her home, she was very open to fostering a mature cat like Briar Rose.

A Lot to Love

Briar Rose has made for a fantastic first-time foster experience. Having matured and mellowed out, she requires far less attention from her caretakers than kittens. As a standard best practice, Briar Rose was initially placed in a safe space–in this case, a spare room. This provided her with a chance to adjust to her new surroundings prior to being given free rein to explore the house. Before long, Briar Rose was snuggling right up to her new humans, showing how comfortable she was around them. She has also taken well to the other two cats, Robin and Edie.

Jill finds that each cat “offers such unique interests, personality traits and ways of sharing their love.” From stroking her soft fur to watching her pounce at string toys and scratching posts, the Belsky family has found a lot to love about Briar Rose. Bonding with the new cat has been a rewarding experience for the whole family.

Words of Encouragement

Jill encourages those on the fence about fostering to think about the long-term difference they could make in a cat’s life for a relatively short-term responsibility. Homeless cats depend on kind people to be the bridge from their past to a happy and healthy life in a forever home. And though it may seem daunting at first, caring for a cat can quickly become second nature. “Before you know it,” Jill says, “you’ll likely fall in love with the foster cat, and any concerns you originally had become negligible.” Plus, with the care and support of the many amazing volunteers at HSLC, a foster caregiver is never alone in their journey.

Learn more about fostering with HSLC and complete a no-obligation application today!

For most folks who celebrate Christmas, the tree has been taken down and the decorations stored away for another year. But, we had one more story bursting with holiday joy that we couldn’t keep to ourselves!

Supportive Fostering Experience

Ladybelle had been rescued by the Humane Society of Loudoun County (HSLC) in the fall of 2022. Despite her beauty, Ladybelle had trouble finding her forever home due to some sassiness. Fortunately, she landed with a patient and loving foster family, the Burbages, who helped her mature into a sweet young ladycat.

And, in turn, the Burbage family had the support of HSLC’s Animal Care Team (ACT). Mom Nicole had this to say about ACT Director, Amy Richards, “You have been an angel throughout this whole experience! Whether we had questions about behavior, medical issues or general cat questions, you’ve always been there for us as we navigated through the fostering experiences. As far as the Burbage family is concerned, YOU ROCK!!!”

Extra Special Adoption

Now, the best “mews”. As a wonderful Christmas morning present, Nicole decided to surprise her children by officially adopting Ladybelle! Amy even created a special certificate to make the adoption extra official! After 15 months of fostering, Nicole feels that they finally have their happy ending. “We just love her to bits and pieces!”

Fostering to Adopt

Not all rescues allow fostering-to-adopt, but HSLC does. So, if you are thinking about adopting an animal, consider fostering first to see if they are a good fit for your household. Likewise, if you want to give fostering a try, don’t worry that you won’t be able to keep your foster cat or dog. Foster caregivers have the right of first refusal if they decide to add the foster animal to their family.

If you are new to fostering, you may find the following blogs helpful:

• Interview with a First-time Foster Mom
• How Do You Foster without Getting Attached? You Don’t.
• Pawsome Foster Stories

By Liz Bresnahan

As an entirely foster-based organization, the number of animals the Humane Society of Loudoun County (HSLC) can accept is completely dependent on the number of foster homes we have.  Currently, HSLC has a very limited number of dog foster caregivers. But, Amy Richards would like to change that. As HSLC’s Animal Care Director, here is Amy’s vision for what an ideal dog foster program would look like.

Strength in Numbers

Amy understands how important it is to have a deep bench of fosters. Having an extensive foster network would ensure that a safe landing is always available when HSLC is asked to take in an animal in need. While long-term fosters are crucial, vacation fosters are also essential as they can step in and support whenever a long term foster is out of town or in case of an emergency. 

Transport

Sometimes dogs come to HSLC from out of the county and even out of state. In those cases, we need volunteers who are willing to drive to the dog, either at its original location or at a mid-way point if the other rescue/shelter can arrange a transport volunteer on their end.

Additional Help

Before a dog arrives in the foster home, Amy would like them to be assessed by one of HSLC’s vet partners, and/or a trainer or behaviorist if applicable. That way, Amy can pair the animal with a foster who is best able to  meet the dog’s specific needs and set the animal up for a successful adoption.

Resources

While HSLC covers all medical costs, it relies on the foster to provide food, crates, grooming supplies, etc. If the community donated these resources, this would allow the foster family to focus solely on taking care of their foster animal. Additionally, Amy would hope to have enough funding for training and boarding for the foster dogs when necessary.

Dog Foster Coordinator

As the dog foster program grows, Amy would foresee needing additional support to manage the details and day-to-day needs of the fosters and any emergencies that arise. As part of the coordinator role, this individual would also organize outings for the dogs, such as group walks and playdates, to help with socialization and train new foster caregivers.

At  HSLC, we hope that Amy’s vision of a comprehensive dog foster program can someday be a reality. It would allow us to be able to support more dogs like Tipper who was recently rescued. He is a senior dog who was surrendered by an elderly owner who could no longer care for him. When he came into HSLC’s care, it was clear that he needed significant grooming and medication to treat Lyme disease and Anaplasmosis. He’s all cleaned up now and anxiously waiting to find his forever home. Be sure to check out his bio! 

If you are interested in learning more about becoming a dog foster or feel inspired to contribute to HSLC’s foster program in other ways, please contact foster@humaneloudoun.org. 

By Lauren Puckett

In August 2021, Tracy Mathews was driving along one early morning in Purcellville when she thought she saw cats in the woods on the side of the road. Upon investigating further, the TNR and Animal Care Administrator for the Humane Society of Loudoun County (HSLC) found several cats hanging out in the bushes. Thankfully, Donna Drake, a former HSLC volunteer and board member, was able to humanely trap the kitties so they could be properly assessed. (For more backstory, read Destiny Can Win Again.)

Tracy took in three of the cats who were healthy and huddled together. Dubbed the Cats of Purrville, she gave the trio a safe landing in the feral kennel at her farm. There, she quickly determined that the cats were very shy but social, so likely adoptable. However, they did not show well at adoption events because they were so scared.

The Purr-fect Adopter Comes Along

Tracy fostered Morris, Myrna, and Felix, for 16 months before a potential adopter, Robin, came calling. During the meet-and-greet, the cats immediately went into hiding when Robin came into the room. But, she trusted that they would warm up to her. Robin originally came to meet just Morris and Myrna but decided that she couldn’t bear to leave Felix behind – so she adopted all three cats!

“Having a bonded trio of adult cats adopted together is unheard of!” according to Tracy. She goes on to say, “Robin has made such a huge impact in their lives.” Since they have been adopted, the three cats have gained confidence and now rule the house. While they are still not lap cats, they are thriving in a loving home.

“Everything is going well,” Robin says. “Morris always desires attention and pets. Felix is coming along nicely and allows you to pet him. Myrna is emerging as the ring leader and at times it seems she tells the two boys what to do.”

Looking to adopt a pair of cats? Check out the available animals on the HSLC website.

By Theresa Wild

In older generations, the progression of life events was simple: complete school, get married, have children, and live happily ever after. In more recent years, these events happen in different orders, or certain events are skipped altogether. Within this evolution, a common occurrence you can see in adults now is not having children; instead, pets take the place of that role.

There are several reasons for individuals or couples to opt out of having children. Could it be the financial strain that raising children can have on generations that have already struggled through recessions and student loan debt? Or is it due to the personal freedom one has when having pets vs. children? Or maybe it is because they simply do not want to spend their lives caring for children, instead, they may want to spend that time dedicated to their careers, traveling, or living life for themselves. 

Whatever their reason may be, the world is seeing an increase in adults seeking other adventures in life outside of parenting children. However, is there still a desire to fill the role of having something to love and care for, while receiving the most unique type of love from a companion animal? According to two different couples who have both fostered for Humane Society of Loudoun County (HSLC), this is the exact path they have taken and it seems to have worked out perfectly for them. 

Andi and BJ

Andi (52) and BJ (42) have been known as a couple who falls in love with the “broken” cats. They foster cats, more specifically ferals that need to be socialized, medical cases that need more specialized care and knowledge, and kittens that could require weeks of bottle feeding. They describe themselves as the crazy cat couple and their house has been deemed “the cat house” on their block. They have taken in cats that were labeled as unsocial, to the extent that the agencies worried about ever finding them a home. With their love and support, some of these “unsocial” cats can now be found on their harness at the local brewery with their mom and dad. 

“Mystic was a medical foster – a community cat that had been seriously injured and they had no idea how he was going to handle being indoors with people or being medicated. Turns out, he’s amazing and magical. He is EXTREMELY social, has been clicker and harness trained, formally works as a therapy pet, and helps us raise and socialize orphan kittens.” – Andi & BJ

When I asked Andi & BJ if they ever had plans to have children, their answer was simple: “no and no.” Based on their hobbies alone, it would appear that they enjoy their freedom. They are gamers, brewers, and fans of Star Wars and other sci-fi fantasies. 

In their own words, they are “proud nerds.” BJ plays guitar and bass and has been in a few bands, while Andi is a competitive pole dancer. It’s not that Andi and BJ don’t love kids, they have just chosen not to have their own. With 7 cats to care for and their busy social lives, Andi and BJ seem to have a wonderful balance. 

Marshal and David

The same can be said for another couple that I spoke to, Marshal (34) and David (37). David is a children’s librarian and has made it his life work to bring stories to life for little ones. Although they don’t foresee children as a part of their future, they enjoy watching their friends’ children grow up.  

Even though Marshal and David have chosen not to have children, Oscar Trotsky, their 4-year-old cat, has similar behaviors to what can be found in having a child. Oscar could be categorized as a “foster fail” (or “foster win”, depending on your perspective), after living with them for 3 months as a foster cat and then becoming a part of their forever family. Oscar can often be found napping on Marshal and David’s legs, devouring his wet food, and making occasional Zoom cameos when Marshal works from home. 

Oscar Enjoying a Good Nap

Although Oscar Trotsky was given his name due to Marshal and David’s love for political science, in their home, he is referred to as “the baby.” In casual conversations, you can hear them ask each other “Did you feed the baby yet?” 

Even though they compare Oscar to a baby, they know it is not the same thing. The couple acknowledges that “while both of us know that caring for children takes immeasurably more time and effort (no one puts a bowl of kibble down for their toddler and then walks out the door for a few hours) we do make decisions about the care of Oscar jointly. And while we do not consider him our child, he is one of the highest priorities in our shared lives.”

“Just Do It!”

Both couples have similar paths of not having children, but dedicating their lives to loving their pets unconditionally. If you ask either couple, they have the same advice for anyone considering adding a furry “child” to their lives: “Just do it!” According to David and Marshal, “Pets allow us to express love, and any time we have the opportunity and ability to share love, I believe it makes the world a better place.”

Whether you are considering children, one pet, or even seven, the love of an animal is endless. If you are on the fence about adding a child or a pet to your life – that’s ok! Andi and BJ said it best: “Your local rescue, and of course HSLC, will have the right companion animal for your lifestyle.” Reach out and see what is out there for you. Who knows, you may find your forever baby as well. 

View HSLC’s Adoptable Animals