Foster Care

Thank you for your interest in the Foster Care Program! Together our foster parents make an enormous contribution to Greenhill and the animals of our community by caring for over 600 animals per year when they need us the most. Without these dedicated volunteers, Greenhill could not provide loving homes to nearly as many deserving animals as we do each year.

Meet our January Fosters of the Month, Liz and Sam K! Liz and Sam have been fostering for almost 2 years! Liz shared, “We decided to become fosters because in the midst of a stressful move I promised my then 16 year old that he could get a cat at the new house. Once we were all moved in I realized that his cat would probably become my cat when he left home for college in a few short years”. Liz didn’t think she wanted a full-time cat of her own, so they came up with a compromise. “We would take in fosters for Greenhill. He would get his cat cuddles, and I wouldn’t be committed. We are going on 20 successful fosters, and it turns out that we both love sharing our home and then getting a break. I am not ashamed to admit that I have cried in the Greenhill parking lot more than once, but it gets easier to detach when you know that there are an infinite amount of fosters who need your love, and that you have gotten them prepared to be amazing companions for some other lucky family.”

Their most memorable experiences of fostering have been bringing their sickest babies back to health, and knowing that they may not have survived without their love and care. Liz said, “Each foster has been an individual precious little creature, and you think you have a favorite, or that you couldn’t possibly love another one as much, and then you do. Each one brings joy and fun into our home.”

Liz is a registered nurse and full time student, and Sam is a freshman at the U of O. Liz shared, “I especially like providing care to our medically fragile fosters. I work with elderly humans, who I often watch decline, so having young fosters who recover brings me a lot of joy. Fosters have helped Sam get through the somewhat disappointing milestones of graduating from high school and moving on to “attending” the U of O. There was a foster cat present to congratulate him when he got a letter in the mail telling him that he had graduated, and instead of a dorm roommate he’s had six kittens. We typically travel a few times a year so having fosters allows us to coordinate our availability around our trips and not have to find a pet sitter.”

When asked what their favorite thing is about fostering, Liz said “Fostering makes me appreciate the fleeting nature of love. You don’t always get “forever” sometimes you only have a little while, and fostering is an opportunity to savor every moment, and practice loving without attachment. Baby animals are fragile, and magical, and as responsible pet owners we don’t get to experience them very often. Fostering with Sam allows me to have more of grandma role; spending a lot of time with the fosters, but sharing the work and responsibility with him. It has been an invaluable family planning lesson for him. On one occasion when we had 6 kittens he thanked me for only having 2 children, and told me “6 is too many!””.

Liz added, “Fostering for Greenhill is a small commitment for a huge amount of love and joy in return. Greenhill is excellent about communicating and if necessary will give you all of the supplies. You are always given the opportunity to accept or reject any foster placement. The foster coordinators are saintly people, who are always available by text, and very responsive if the fosters need medicine or to be seen by the veterinarian. The demand has never felt overwhelming, and usually I’m the one who is waiting patiently for them to contact me about our next foster. All that is required is love, transportation, a little bit of time, and a dedicated space to keep fosters separate from other household pets. I always feel a little sad, but excited when I return my fosters because I know that the Greenhill team will find amazing loving homes for them.”