Foster Parents for Pooches began with Karen & Dan Fike in the late 80's. The mission - to save dogs from being euthanized in local shelters and find them loving homes. Few rescues existed - PAWS rescued cats, we and 2 other groups rescued dogs. We had over 20 active foster homes and were sadly, very busy. When Karen's family grew she eventually handed over the reins of the organization to other vo
lunteers. Over time our focus has shifted to the rescue of animals that others turn away, due to breed, health or age. Often these animals are “Forever-Fosters” – dogs or cats that have constant medical needs, are in the final stages of a terminal illness or have special emotional needs. Our rescue pays for their medical expenses for the rest of their lives. We work with several wonderful veterinarians and specialists to keep our animals healthy and comfortable (Oak Tree Veterinary Hospital in Cleveland Heights, Dancing Paws in Richfield, and Metropolitan in Akron). When we have funds, we assist low income families with veterinary care. We also conduct TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) of cats in Cleveland, and feed a feral colony. We recently successfully moved a colony from a dangerous area to new barn homes. Our little group will often say to each other that we wish we had taken video of our rescue efforts, or that we should write up the stories. We joined Facebook late so many have never been shared. Most of the time, we are too focused in the moment to think of video, or else we don’t have a spare hand! Maybe one day we will write up the stories. For now, we’ll just share the longest with you:
For years a family of stray dogs lived in an industrial area in Cleveland. We began what ended up being a 2.5 year effort to trap them. Many volunteers showed up to erect an amazing shelter built of straw bales, Igloos and palettes to help them survive the harsh winter. We fed them year round, not an easy task as we had to hike to the area and crawl under fencing. Some of the dogs were very savvy and evaded the traps but we eventually caught 21, including puppies born there. Many of the adult dogs were heartworm positive and two were feral. All but one had a happy ending. Medical and boarding expenses for this group were over $9,000. Today we remain a small group of committed volunteers, highly responsible in placing our animals in their new homes. We take time, often many weeks, to get to know our fosters so that we can appropriately rehome them. Our animals are guaranteed a lifetime of love, whether it’s in our care or their adoptive home. We are very appreciative of the support we receive from the community, friends and our wonderful adopters. Without it, we could not save, protect or care for those that so need our help. To donate – https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=P8DFMWKMR972W
Thanks!
