The Grace Card, Inc.

12/05/2024

This is an SOS for help for these three. Two are dumped kitties that are semi friendly, and the third (black kitty) was likely born outside and was very sweet but has been terrorized by raccoons in the last months and is very scared. They are in an area where the feeders are no longer able to feed per the management. These are not short term fosters, they will need time to trust and feel safe. None are feral, just very frightened. It is freezing out and without feeders they won’t survive 😭

If you can dedicate a room in your home and have experience with cats and would like to foster, please email us at [email protected] or send us a message through FB and we can discuss further.

I must reiterate that this is a commitment of at least 4 months or more, but I can guarantee you that your heart will be full knowing you are saving their lives. The two in the picture can be fostered together, the third could be fostered separately.

12/05/2024

Don’t leave the momma cats behind - their lives matter. So many times there is a dash to grab kittens and in the shuffle the mom becomes “an extra”, and on the back burner. This should not be! The rescue plan should include all of them - momma and kittens.

Rescuing a mother cat with her kittens is considered the best practice because it allows the kittens to benefit from their mother's essential care, including nursing, socialization, and vital life skills, which they wouldn't fully learn if separated too early; essentially giving them the best chance at a healthy and well-adjusted life.

With the weather turning frigid, please remember those who are facing the weather outside and, if you are able, please:

🐾please provide a heated water dish on your front porch or in your yard for homeless animals and wildlife. These heated options can be found at Tractor Supply, on Amazon and many stores. If a heated dish is not feasible, use a rubber or plastic bowl (not metal), and cut out the middle of a foam block and stick the bowl down in it (you can even put 18 hour hand warmers under it) to keep the water from freezing for a longer period, and please put out fresh water each day.

🐾 shelter from the cold is vital at times like these. Again, the best case scenario is a heated shelter, but if that is not feasible, there are many videos to create a feral shelter and fill it with STRAW - not blankets or anything fabric! Create a safety zone blocking the wind under your raised shed or other area in your yard for wildlife.

🐾 feed them! kitten kibble is better than adult kibble during cold months because the calories are higher. Better yet is wet food and dry food if you can feed quickly before it freezes. Do not feed dog kibble to cats!!! It does not have the right nutrients for cats and can result in serious problems such as blindness.

🐾 if you have room in your heart and home, even a bathroom or small bedroom, please offer to help get a homeless animal to safety. Fostering can clear space in rescues and shelters to accommodate the need for homes during these cold months. Reach out to us or your local rescue or shelter if you can help.

🐾 please donate food and supplies to your local rescues. Rescues run solely on community help. We don’t receive county or government funding and most times are running on a bare bones budget, and sleep deprived 😊

Here are some of our famous moms that are in our rescue ❤️💋😻 Every single one would have been considered feral or unfriendly when they were trapped…and every single one is an amazing momma, not a mean bone in their bodies, and the best indoor cats you could ask for!!

😻Little Momma was rescued with her son Unique (her only young kitten).

😻Emmie was trapped with Reggie outside of a local jail in the dead of winter. She had four younger kittens who were also trapped and adopted into loving homes. Lena was also trapped (her older kitten) and is here with her and Reggie.

😻 Sissy was trapped and brought in with her son Socks (her only kitten).

😻 Purrfecta was trapped pregnant and had her two kittens, Koa and Leilani, a week later inside safe and warm.

😻 Summerlie was trapped with all four of her kittens (Catrick, Elvis, Goldie and Daisy)

Please don’t leave mom behind 🙏❤️ They are a family and part of their story and lives 🐾🥰

11/30/2024

Give us some good news ❤️🗞️🎄

As we round out the month of intentional thankfulness and sharing good news, I thought this sweet story, while not “cat centered” is a sweet reminder of small beginnings, of perseverance even in the face of hard times and sadness, and that you never know how your kind actions can touch the world - sometimes for years to come…maybe even forever ❤️

Here it goes - the original story of Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer! If you aren't familiar with it either, read below:

As the holiday season of 1938 came to Chicago, Bob May wasn’t feeling much comfort or joy. A 34-year-old ad writer for Montgomery Ward, May was exhausted and nearly broke. His wife, Evelyn, was bedridden, on the losing end of a two-year battle with cancer. This left Bob to look after their four-year old-daughter, Barbara.

One night, Barbara asked her father, “Why isn’t my mommy like everybody else’s mommy?” As he struggled to answer his daughter’s question, Bob remembered the pain of his own childhood. A small, sickly boy, he was constantly picked on and called names. But he wanted to give his daughter hope, and show her that being different was nothing to be ashamed of. More than that, he wanted her to know that he loved her and would always take care of her. So he began to spin a tale about a reindeer with a bright red nose who found a special place on Santa’s team. Barbara loved the story so much that she made her father tell it every night before bedtime. As he did, it grew more elaborate. Because he couldn’t afford to buy his daughter a gift for Christmas, Bob decided to turn the story into a homemade picture book.

In early December, Bob’s wife died. Though he was heartbroken, he kept working on the book for his daughter. A few days before Christmas, he reluctantly attended a company party at Montgomery Ward. His co-workers encouraged him to share the story he’d written. After he read it, there was a standing ovation. Everyone wanted copies of their own. Montgomery Ward bought the rights to the book from their debt-ridden employee. Over the next six years, at Christmas, they gave away six million copies of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer to shoppers. Every major publishing house in the country was making offers to obtain the book. In an incredible display of good will, the head of the department store returned all rights to Bob May. Four years later, Rudolph had made him into a millionaire.

Now remarried with a growing family, May felt blessed by his good fortune. But there was more to come. His brother-in-law, a successful songwriter named Johnny Marks, set the uplifting story to music. The song was pitched to artists from Bing Crosby on down. They all passed. Finally, Marks approached Gene Autry. The cowboy star had scored a holiday hit with “Here Comes Santa Claus” a few years before. Like the others, Autry wasn’t impressed with the song about the misfit reindeer. Marks begged him to give it a second listen. Autry played it for his wife, Ina. She was so touched by the line “They wouldn’t let poor Rudolph play in any reindeer games” that she insisted her husband record the tune.

Within a few years, it had become the second best-selling Christmas song ever, right behind “White Christmas.” Since then, Rudolph has come to life in TV specials, cartoons, movies, toys, games, coloring books, greeting cards and even a Ringling Bros. circus act. The little red-nosed reindeer dreamed up by Bob May and immortalized in song by Johnny Marks has come to symbolize Christmas as much as Santa Claus, evergreen trees and presents. As the last line of the song says, “He’ll go down in history.”

86 years later and one man’s decision to do good and persevere through great loss and pain has brought joy and lasting memories to millions of people. So…go out and do good even when it’s hard, your sad or struggling…spread good news 🗞️ Be intentional in bringing kindness, peace, unity and love wherever you are planted - every month of the year…that will be good news worth sharing and will go down in history ❤️🗞️😘

11/29/2024

Give us some good news ❤️🐶🐾🗞️

On September 15, 2024 John Blackwell’s puppy Onyx went missing near the Tin Can Alley trail in Mt. Charleston, Nevada.

UPDATE: REUNITED!! Onyx is home safe & sound after 42 days, 5 hours :)

"A big thank you to all the people that have helped in locating her. She has been living in the forest for the last six weeks. Thank you Matt and all the children at the juvenile detention center that helped bring her home safely. "
-Onyx's Owner

Message from Owner: My wife was hiking with her when my wife fell and while unconscious, she pulled the leash off of her and ran away.

Description: Black Golden-Doodle 45 pounds, almost 10 months old. Purple Halter, black leash, red collar!

Here is his story:

What am I most thankful for this Thanksgiving? My puppy Onyx is back home ❤️ Onyx went missing September 15, 2024 near Tin Can Alley Trail. A massive search went underway but there were no sightings of this elusive ten month old black golden doodle puppy. I am thankful for all the residents of the Mt. Charleston community and others that were out searching and trying to locate any signs of her. All the support and advice was very much appreciated!

I am closer to this puppy than I have been to any animal my whole life. I need her and she needs me. I was at a complete loss and wondered how an animal ten months old could even survive a few days in the forest.

After many tears and many days went by, I had almost given up hope that she would ever return or even be alive. It was so hard to be at home at night knowing she was trying to stay alive in the mountain forested area. Many looked for her tirelessly. Posting flyers everywhere. Posting online everywhere. Checking the shelters. Listening to the scam calls. A volunteer did a drone search. Talking with members of the community, talking with the police, talking with the forest service employees, talking with the visitor center, talking with the fire department employees and talking with the people at Spring Mountain Youth Camp.

And then on October 28, 2024, my prayers were answered. Officer M. of the Spring Mountain Youth Camp called my cell number and asked if I was missing a black dog. I could not believe that she had been found. I had just witnessed a true miracle.

I met Officer M. to pick her up. He said the youths had spotted her. They told him and he went out to look for her but did not see her. He went back inside and the persistent youths told him, the dog is out there, go look again. He went out one more time and caught a glance of her but she ran away. He went back inside and got some chicken and cheese and went back out. She slowly approached him and he captured her. My number was on her tag and he called me immediately. I met him to pick her up, and thanked him over and over again as tears rolled down my face.

She did not know me right away and she did not respond to her name right away, which she had not heard for 43 days. I called the Veterinary Emergency Group, said I was on my way there and explained what she had been through. When I got there, they saw her immediately. They checked for broken bones, cuts, alertness, checked for any organ failure and did a series of blood tests. Other than losing one third body weight and being malnourished she was in remarkable good shape.

It has been one month and she has gained most of her weight back and is getting stronger every day, although she is still in recovery for a couple more months.

We have renewed our relationship. That did not take long. She insisted that she be by side as much as possible even including when I take a shower and sleeps right next to me at night.

She is a true miracle dog and was very determined to make her way back home. What a trooper! I am a very proud owner of this beautiful puppy and feel so blessed to have her home on this wonderful Thanksgiving Day! Thank you everyone!

Never give up hope - prayers were answered when it seemed all hope was lost. Onyx was reunited 42 days and 5 hours after going missing in a forest and spent her Thanksgiving back home and safe - that is really good news 🐾❤️🐕‍🦺🗞️

11/28/2024

Give us some good news - take two of two 🎥❤️🐾🗞️

A bit of a Thanksgiving miracle to warm your heart - this is a short video of our Oliver, sweet Ollie Bollie, on his first night in his forever home with his own little boy to love 😽👦❤️

So here’s the miracle…Oliver hid for at least the first week in each foster home he was in but not yesterday in his forever home, it’s like he knew this was his place. He didn’t hide, he explored, slept, ate lots of treats and rounded out his first day looking out the window with his buddy before they fell asleep together for the night - he is already giving kitty kisses 😻💋

There’s a bonus picture in the comments too 😻

From abandoned and forgotten to chosen and loved— today Ollie Bollie is spending his first Thanksgiving inside with his forever family and that’s the best news ever 🍽🍁😻🐾🗞️

11/28/2024

Give us some good news - take one of two 🎥❤️🐾🗞️

From the Kitchen to the Clinic: A Wildlife Center Thanksgiving

While many Americans are preparing for their big Thanksgiving dinners, the staff at the Wildlife Center of Virginia are busy planning their own holiday feast—this one for a guest list of 157 wild animals! Dr. Natalie, Licensed Veterinary Technicians Jess and Erin, and rehabilitators Alex and Kavya will be on-site, caring for 18 ambassador animals and 139 wildlife patients.

Turkey, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce aren’t on the Wildlife Center menus. Instead, Alex and Kavya will be creating dozens of species-specific diets. While 157 may seem like a large guest list, Thanksgiving at the Center is much like any other day in the animal kitchen. The staff ensures every meal meets each species' nutritional needs and each patient’s unique preferences or limitations.

While the rehabilitators are busy preparing meals, Dr. Natalie and Erin will focus on their own critical Thanksgiving duties: morning treatments and medical care for any animal in need. From bandage changes to emergency procedures, the team is ready for anything—because at the Wildlife Center, there’s no such thing as a holiday break when it comes to saving lives.

This year’s Thanksgiving guest list at the Wildlife Center includes:

1 American Bittern
7 American Black Bears
1 American Crow
2 American Kestrel
1 American Robin
3 Bald Eagles
1 Baltimore Oriole
10 Barred Owls
1 Blue Jay
1 Broad-winged Hawk
1 Cedar Waxwing
5 Common Musk Turtles
2 Cooper's Hawks
1 Cornsnake
2 Dekay's Brown Snakes
1 Eastern Bluebird
1 Eastern Cottontail
4 Eastern Gray Squirrels
7 Eastern Painted Turtles
6 Eastern Ratsnakes
10 Eastern Screech-Owls
6 Great Horned Owls
1 Green Tree Frog
1 Gyrfalcon
1 Northern Cardinal
1 Peregrine Falcon
1 Red Fox
3 Red-shouldered Hawks
7 Red-tailed Hawks
1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird
1 Russian Tortoise
1 Snapping Turtle
5 Virginia Opossums
1 Western Hog-nosed Snake
1 White-throated Sparrow
1 Wood Turtle
52 Woodland Box Turtles
5 Yellow-bellied Sliders

And the staff will be ready for any new patients that might arrive—which is always possible, any day of the year. By the time the staff head home to their own Thanksgiving dinners, all 157 animals will be fed, watered, and cared for.

This Thanksgiving, we have one more seat at the table … you! Thanks to your generosity and support, we’re able to continue providing vital care to these patients and so many other animals in need. On behalf of the staff and patients, we send our heartfelt wishes for a safe and joyous holiday. Our patients are thankful for your support … and so are we!

Happy Thanksgiving!

The care and love given to so many humans and animals behind the scenes today is good news we can all give thanks for ❤️🐾🗞️

11/27/2024

Here are some more pictures from Oliver’s big day ❤️ From heading out this morning with his foster mom and brothers to arriving at his new home!

A humongous thanks to the entire foster family for all the dedication to getting Oliver into a fabulous forever home ❤️❤️

11/27/2024

Oliver has now made it to his forever home with his very own little boy ❤️👦 😻

Just look at all that joy…thanksgiving for real 😁🙌🐾

I’m going to post some of today’s journey pictures separately but I thought this video needed a post all of its own!

Oliver will be so loved - what an amazing story he has and an even more amazing second act is on the way!!

11/27/2024

Give us some good news ❤️🐾🗞️

For the past 9 years, ACO Ray Elliott has spent his Thanksgiving Day at Lunenberg County Virginia Public Animal Shelter in rural Virginia to raise money and support for the small shelter he manages. Ray is well known as a fabulous animal welfare advocate who goes above and beyond to care for the animals in his county.

Lunenburg County animal control officer Ray Elliott is once again spending his Thanksgiving in the dog house. Elliott is not in trouble with his family. For nearly a decade, Elliott has raised money and awareness for his rural shelter through his annual Ruffin-It fundraiser. Elliott spends 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. in a dog kennel on Thanksgiving Day with no food or water.

The attached article (with video) shows the compassion he has for all animals. Please consider donating to support Officer Ray Elliott’s Ruff ‘N It campaign! This Thanksgiving marks his 9th year...wow!!! He will forego family time and turkey to spend the day locked in at the Lunenburg Animal Control to raise funds and awareness for spaying and neutering.

While we take a second helping of stuffing, he is working for a cause.

Any amount is appreciated!
Donate here:
https://southsidespca.org/donate-online/
If you have trouble donating online, please feel free to call ACO Elliott for more options on giving:
(434) 917-9065

Bringing awareness to animals in need year after year - Officer Ray Elliott is a blessing to them and us - a world changer this Thanksgiving and that’s just really good, Hope filled, heart lifting good news ❤️😻🐶🐾🗞️

Lunenburg County animal control officer Ray Elliott is once again spending his Thanksgiving in the dog house. Elliott is not in trouble with his family.

11/26/2024

It takes time…sometimes just hours, sometimes days, but most likely months to see a formerly unsocialized kitty start to relax and trust.

Grayson was trapped August 19 and since that time has been learning the sounds, smells, and routines in his new surroundings. Yesterday for the first time, just over 3 months later, he decided it was safe to venture out of his safe zone 😻😻😻

Leilani was there to greet him and encourage him. The rest of the tribe had been urging him to come out for the last couple of days and he is accepting of them, as they are of him ❤️🐾❤️

A new part of his journey is beginning with lots of new sights, more toys, love, lots and lots of cat hair and new friends to share it all with 😽

Patience and time - it’s so worth it 💗🐾

11/26/2024

Give us some good news 🐾❤️🐶🗞️

Some days are hard for us to look for good things when life is tough, but we need to always be aware of things to be grateful for.

This story comes out of Nelson County, VA and shows how everyday people come together to help each other and save a life 🐶🫶

Winnie was saved thanks to these first responders and the job they do every day - this has a happy ending because of them and that’s really good news ❤️🐾🗞️

11/26/2024

Please keep Winston in your prayers 🙏🙏

This morning he was very unstable when trying to walk and Dr Cunningham was able to come to check on him. He appears to have suffered a mild stroke. His pupils were uneven possibly indicating a neurological event. He does not appear to be in any pain and is able to move around and was resting peacefully earlier. He has gotten up onto the bed using the stairs, even though I put him on the floor - he likes to rest on the heating pad and sleep under the covers so he decided he was getting back up on the bed.

He was given a heparin injection (blood thinner) to start to dissolve any small clots and starting tomorrow will be given 1/2 of a 81mg baby aspirin every 3 days as a blood thinner. Never give cats Tylenol (it is deadly), only 1/2 a baby aspirin and only every 3 days, not more frequently.

He was walking a little more steady this evening and we are hoping he returns completely to normal in the next week 🙏🙏. Maine C**n breed cats can be prone to heart (mainly HCM) and kidney issues. Winston has kidney issues, which can affect blood pressure which affects the heart. Taking blood pressure readings on a cat is difficult enough, but doing it today while he is stressed was not a good idea 🙁

Please pray for a full recovery for this sweet guy. Dan was a good friend and checking on him today 🥰

11/25/2024

Shared from Oliver’s foster mom last night -

T minus 3 days, and this guy’s off to his new family. Can you tell we’re going to miss each other?! He sleeps on me, right against me, and/or in between my legs every single night.

Just a quick photo shoot tonight of this handsome boy for the memories. Only 3 more nights together, sweet Oliver 💜💕

11/25/2024

Give us some good news 😻🐾🗞️

This tiny kitten was found orphaned by a kind man. They saved each other ❤️

When you see outside yourself, you can see others in need…helping them may be just what you need to change your life too - being kind is always good news 🫶🐾😽

Enjoy this sweet video of Leo saving his human ❤️

11/23/2024

Give us some good news ❤️🐾🗞️

Torn Between Volunteering and Dream of Adopting a Cat, 6-year-old Starts P**p Scooping Business

This is Luca Arpin, better known to his neighbors as “P**pa Scoopa Luca.“

His moniker is well-earned, as the 6-year-old styled himself the neighborhood’s #1 number to call for cleaning up after dogs and cats.

“People hate picking up dog poop,” said the first-grader from Warwick, Mass. Speaking with WJAR, Arpin said he has an appreciation for all things tidy, and prefers cleaning up above other activities.

His rate is $15 for one dog, or $20 for multiple dogs. He even has his own business card.

His mother says that volunteering is one of their family’s core values. She and Luca have an enduring love for animals and together have fostered 98 four-legged friends through her work at a local animal shelter.

First to fold laundry or mop a floor, Luca’s mother said that his tendencies to offer his help pro bono at the shelter slowly landed him in a predicament where he wanted to afford to permanently adopt a cat, but couldn’t afford to do so.

Asking mom how he could earn money, the two settled on that poo patrol, which he says is work he doesn’t mind at all.

“I have the coolest kid in the entire world,” said his mother proudly.

It didn’t take long for Luca to save enough money to bring ‘Pebble’ a little female kitten he decided he couldn’t live without, into the busy embrace of their home. Luca continues to work, raising money which he hopes can go to help other animals.

His story even made the local news ❤️❤️ here’s the link to the story - https://youtu.be/0EwTxpXYofY

Luca is on Instagram .scoopa.luca

Through the eyes and hearts of children 😻 Luca is changing his community as a 6 year old!! Just imagine what we could all do if we worked together in the simple things in life. This is really good news 😻🐶🐾❤️

11/22/2024

URGENT DONATIONS NEED FOR TOM!!

UPDATE - Invoice is now attached totaling $928.41. He has severe stomatitis and gingivitis with ulcerated masses on the gums. I also added a picture of his mouth from yesterday (WARNING - GRAPHIC - his mouth is bleeding and looks bad). They are sending out for cytology to try to determine if he has infectious disease or inflammatory masses. They have also removed a portion of one of the masses to perform a biopsy if needed. We will wait for results on the cytology first (5-7 days).

Urgent vet visit yesterday totaling nearly $1,000. The invoice will be posted as soon as they finish adding all the charges and I have it. So far this morning it is $928. Please help if you can 🙏🙏🙏

This picture is not from yesterday - this is healthy Tom 🙁

Yesterday our Mr Thomas (aka Tom) was not doing well and thanks to Piedmont Pets Veterinary Care was seen quickly. Over the last few days Tom had stopped eating much, stopped grooming, and had some visible blood around his mouth. He thankfully was able to get right into the vet. Inside his mouth is ulcerated again, and bloody 😭, and they want to send out some tissue for biopsy to figure out what is happening to this poor boy. This is obviously very painful. Tom is a perfect gentleman with his foster mom…not so much with the vet so he required sedation to be examined. Tom is home with his mom now awaiting further results and has pain meds, had an antibiotic shot, and also has anti-inflammatory meds in the meantime. During a phone call to the vet this morning I was advised the bill so far is $928 😭😭. I will post the invoice once I receive it later this morning (the vet wants to speak to me first). This is a huge amount. Please donate to help this sweet boy get back to healthy again. He has come so far and we need your help 🥲🙏

Donations are all 100% tax deductible.

Venmo -
PayPal -
Checks - The Grace Card, 14000 Flagtree Place, Manassas, VA 20112

If you prefer to pay directly toward the vet bill - Payments can also be made directly to the vet (Piedmont Pets Vet Care) for Tom (under The Grace Card) - 540-349-7200.

Thank you and please keep Tom in your prayers for a quick diagnosis, complete healing, and effective management of pain 🙏🙏🙏

11/22/2024

Give us some good news ❤️🐾🗞️

A couple in Arkansas have emptied their savings and wedding fund to save a 10-month old dog found stricken by the side of the road.

Weeks have passed, and their their love has inspired $39,000 in donations to help save the pooch and replace the money they so self-sacrificingly forked over for emergency surgery.

It was Halloween day when Dylan MacCay was leaving work that he saw on Facebook a notice that a Goldendoodle had been seen on the side of the road, apparently injured, near his home.

“She had been struck by a vehicle in a hit and run,” he wrote in a Facebook post about the ordeal. “It had been raining all day and she was wet. I gathered towels and blankets and sped to the location.”

The dog was still there with her back legs bloodied and broken, unable to move. Some strangers helped lift the dog into McCay’s car when he made the fateful choice to speed towards the nearest emergency hospital.

“Despite her life threatening injuries, she did not whine, she did not growl. She tried to crawl towards me and laid her head on my lap,” he wrote.

Joined later by his fiance Emily Roberts, McCay stood at Greenbriar Animal Hospital and was told that no microchip was present, and that any and all expenses would fall on the young man just beginning to make his way in life.

“I decided in that moment that I would do whatever was necessary to help this puppy. She deserved a chance at life,” he wrote in a GoFundMe set up with Roberts to take care of the dog, which they named Acklin.

Broken legs, possible infection, and fleas were the diagnosis. The following day, the doctor said the leg would have to be amputated, and for the other one, which would have “to be perfect” a 10-hour drive to Mississippi Sate University was required. The cost by then had reached $7,000.

“We have pulled the money from our wedding fund and our overall life savings to fund these medical expenses,” the pair wrote. “That being said, we are joyous and excited at the possibility of saving this wonderful girl and giving her the best life she could imagine.”

Acklin’s surgery was successful to save both of her injured legs—no amputation necessary. In an update posted on November 11th, by which time the GoFundMe had shattered the total request for $11,000, McCay and Roberts wrote that she is now beginning to bear her own weight and is starting physical rehabilitation today.

“Our sweet girl is able to get this much-deserved help because of all of you,” they wrote. “Her rehabilitation and therapy will be expensive, but we are working as hard as we can.”

Love knows no limits 💗 A complete stranger stepping in to save an animal in need - forever - that’s really good news 🐶 🐾🗞️❤️

11/21/2024

Give us some good news 😻🐾🗞️

Some people categorize fostering animals as a “woman thing”, but they couldn’t be more wrong. We have fosters that are women, men, children, teens and young adults - all involved and playing a crucial part of saving and rehabilitating animals 🐾❤️

One of our fosters who loves seniors took in Charlie this past Sunday. She had just fostered Winston during his quarantine and had a very short break. When I reached out to her about Charlie she said she asked her husband and his joking response was something to the effect of “NO, NO, NO…but he said she could. 🤣”. She also remarked how much she loved fostering but it scares her to death!

Do you hear that?…scared (and not her first time fostering). It reminded me how often that is a response I hear about possibly fostering - fear. I also am reminded that every single time I take in a cat (or other animal) I am scared that I won’t be good enough, won’t have enough, they won’t like me…the list goes on, but once you walk through that fear over and over again you find your wobbly legs start to stabilize. Every single time it is worth it ❤️😻

So, these pictures are Charlie with the Foster’s husband (aka foster dad) on Monday night (the night after she came to them) and when she sent me the pictures she again jokingly remarked “So the guy who said NO! NO! NO! has made friends with Charlie 😻.”

Fostering is not just a woman thing, it’s a family thing, it’s a community thing, it’s a saving thing. There’s no prior training needed, just a love of animals and an open heart and home.

So the good news is that fostering saves lives, enriches your life and theirs, and it’s open to all animal loving people ❤️🗞️🐾