Program helps veterans keep their pets

NORWALK — A nonprofit wants local veterans to know that they don't have to give away their pets while they go on deployment or face extended hospitalizations. Operation Foster is a service of PACT for Animals, a nonprofit based in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, that provides temporary foster care for military service members and hospitalized patients. The program connects applicants with screened volunteer foster families until owners can be reunited with their pets. What is Operation Foster? Operation Foster has helped more than 3,500 pets since 2011, according to Gisele Fetterman, director of strategic partnerships and development for the organization. Fetterman said the program has helped foster and reunite more than 20 pets belonging to Ohio veterans. "You can get help, and then you can come back home," Fetterman said. "A lot of people don't know this exists. That there is another option." Available to local veterans Huron County, including Norwalk, is home to more than 2,900 veterans, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The Ohio Army National Guard's 945th Engineer Co. is based in Norwalk, while Company D of the 1st Battalion, 148th Infantry Regiment is located in Sandusky. Fetterman said Operation Foster has not yet assisted in Huron County, but the organization is focusing its outreach on the county and elsewhere in Ohio. She said Operation Foster partners with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Through that partnership, the organization received a call about an Ohio veteran who needed treatment but had no one to care for his pet while he was away, she said. Operation Foster assists military personnel facing deployment, veterans seeking inpatient physical or mental health treatment and patients undergoing extended hospitalization. Its goal is to prevent owners from having to surrender their animals because of a temporary crisis. "By providing free, temporary foster care, we give veterans the peace of mind to focus on their health, recovery or service while knowing their pets are safe and will be waiting for them," Fetterman said. Veterans in crisis can call 988 and press 1 to reach the veteran crisis line. How it works The program does not charge owners a fee for finding or managing foster placements. Owners remain responsible for food, veterinary care, transportation, grooming and other related pet expenses. Pet owners begin the process by completing an application. Operation Foster collects photographs, veterinary records and information about an emergency contact who can make decisions if the owner cannot be reached. Prospective foster families complete an application, a veterinary check and a remote home visit. They may specify which types of animals or breeds they are willing to foster. Once a possible match is found, the owner and family can meet and determine whether the arrangement is suitable. If both sides agree, they sign a legal foster agreement. Operation Foster then provides support throughout the placement. The program accepts pets nationwide and foster arrangements usually last six weeks to two years. Pets must be at least one year old, and owners are responsible for transporting them to and from foster homes. For medical placements, Operation Foster typically needs at least two or three weeks to find a foster. Pets must have their required vaccinations and be spayed or neutered unless a documented medical condition prevents the procedure. Veterans, service members, hospitalized patients and prospective foster families can apply or find additional information at operationfoster.org. "We know there are many more veterans we could help if they simply knew this resource existed," Fetterman said.