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All in Adams: Fostering with Riverdale Animal Shelter
20 Plays8 days ago
In this episode, Riverdale Animal Shelter Foster Coordinator Jennifer Davidek talks about their foster program, the benefits of foster care for shelter pets, and how you can support.
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Transcript
Podcast Introduction
00:00:03
Speaker
Welcome to All In Adams, the official podcast of Adams County Government, where we're all in for our residents, our employees, and our community. So whether you live here, work here, or you just want to know more about what makes Adams County a great place to be, thanks for tuning in. We're all in, Adams.
00:00:22
Speaker
Hello and welcome to another episode of All in
Guest Introduction: Jennifer Davidek
00:00:25
Speaker
Adams. I'm Danielle Yurich, the Senior Social Media Specialist with Adams County. Today I'm joined by Jennifer Davidek. She is the Foster Coordinator at Riverdale Animal Shelter. And we're gonna talk all things foster program and the great things they're doing over there.
Jennifer's Early Passion for Animals
00:00:38
Speaker
Welcome, Jen. Nice to have you. yeah Thanks for having me. course. We're so excited to learn more about all the great things you and your fosters are doing. um But just to kick things off, let's learn a little bit more about you. What kind of led you to Riverdale Animal Shelter and how did you have that passion for animal welfare? Yeah,
Educational and Professional Background
00:00:55
Speaker
yeah, definitely. i think um like almost anybody working with animals as a little kid, I loved animals. um You know, I have ah a very distinct memory of being a kid buried in a pile of puppies, wanting more puppies. Love that. um So it started as a small child with a passion for animals and just kind of enjoying them um and having that encouraged by family and friends. um
00:01:18
Speaker
And as I grew up, there was a teacher who assigned a project to research animals. um And I picked prairie dogs just kind of on a whim. who ok um And it's kind of a random animal, but with living in Colorado, a very, you know, a very good one to to research. Yeah. And um also grew a passion for prairie dogs and just kind of biology in general and and really realized that a career working with animals was possible.
00:01:44
Speaker
um And so kind of started to pursue that at the ripe age of being in second grade. um And so I did get my degree in biology um with chemistry as well because I wasn't entirely sure where it would go with that. um But just new animals would always be kind of at the forefront of it. um And i did work at Denver Zoo as a zookeeper for a little bit. oh And so got a lot of experience with a lot of different exotic animals.
00:02:08
Speaker
There were about 120 different species in the exhibit that I worked in. And so, yeah, a wide range of animals. um But that was kind of where I got my first intro into working with the public, public speaking, working with volunteers. And this spark just kind of ignited that was like, maybe people are pretty cool too. yeah um And it was it was a journey for me to realize that people and animals kind of go together.
Journey into Animal Sheltering
00:02:31
Speaker
um and so from there, I went into vet med for just a little bit and then entered the animal shelter world at a different animal shelter. um and that was where I entered foster. And I did not realize how awesome foster could be. um Just the passion. Volunteers bring so much passion to everything that they do. um but to open your home and heart to an animal for so long...
00:02:54
Speaker
and then give them back and know that they're going on somewhere else is just incredible. And it just brought everything that I had learned all into this one beautiful world, basically. And so I spent just under five years at that shelter.
00:03:08
Speaker
kind of in a variety of different positions that all had foster involved. um And then I went back into vet med for a little bit, but I knew where my soul rested was definitely within animal sheltering. yeah and that that is what led me back to Riverdale and just kind of where my soul is on fire as an animal shelter. um And that's where the foster program again is where I landed. And it just is beautiful um to be able to work with the foster volunteers and the animals together.
00:03:35
Speaker
um And just really get to kind of bring all of the things that have really been my passion. And sadly, no fostering prairie dogs. I mean, they can't foster those. But, you know, get to drive by them every day on my way into work. From a safe distance. Yes.
Importance of Fostering in Animal Shelters
00:03:49
Speaker
I love that. And, you know, you talked about fostering and like what it takes to be that person of kind of you're with this pet for so long. But then eventually you give them back unless, of course, the foster fail and we'll get there. But I'm sure that's got to be so hard to fall love with a pet, but also you're working them to get to their loving home. And I think that's really special. Yeah. So kind of on that note, why is foster care so important to shelter pets? And how does this help them thrive until they do find that forever home that they're seeking?
00:04:20
Speaker
Yeah, you know, not every pet that comes to the shelter is ready for their next step. um And even if they are the shelter, yeah as awesome as I think we are is not always the best environment for a pet. And so foster is so important because they can really help pets just either get ready or open up.
00:04:37
Speaker
um And so sometimes it's neonates who are too small or too young and they just need that time to get old enough, get big enough, get ready for adoption or whatever might be next for them. um Sometimes it's animals that are awaiting a medical procedure, whether that's a dental or something bigger.
00:04:51
Speaker
um and then sometimes it's animals that are really scared. They're really shut down. And the foster home can really give them that space and time to open up and show us what they need.
Challenges in the Foster Program
00:05:00
Speaker
um And so it's so important. And then, you know, sometimes we have summers like we did last year where we were chock full. Yes. And foster can just be sort of that space that helps us be able to take in more animals and really support the community.
00:05:12
Speaker
That's great. And kind of talked about you've had a couple of mass impounds this last year. um What are some other like kind of current needs that your foster program has? Yeah, well, um I walked in today and we have two moms with puppies, kind of larger litters. One of them has seven puppies, which is a lot of puppies. Oh, man. And she's a good mom, but you can tell she's tired. So I think that moms and puppies are kind of one that's hard to place. Yeah. um Moms and kittens are a little bit easier sometimes because they're they take up a little less space.
00:05:41
Speaker
um But even those can be hard. and And I think people overlook how easy it is to have mom involved. yeah She does a lot of the care and then you just get to kind of come in and hang out and enjoy all the fun. um so definitely moms and puppies and then big dogs can you be a tough placement for us.
00:05:58
Speaker
um Again, space can be really hard. And then um sometimes it can be the longer medical needs. So if they have like an orthopedic procedure, um they're going to need something up to like 16 weeks. And so even if you're sitting there looking at your calendar and you're like, i don't know if I can do that. Yeah. um Even if you can do a few weeks at a time, that's really helpful. So I think that dogs tend to be at the top of our list. Right. um And then, of course, at any time, kittens. And that's kind of what we did our last push for. Yeah, definitely. We can never have enough kitten homes.
00:06:28
Speaker
So to sum it up, everything. Everything. We just need great fosters here to come help out. Yes. I love that. Kind of talking about like an ideal foster family. What would make a good candidate for a foster for
Qualities of an Ideal Foster Family
00:06:41
Speaker
your program? Yeah, yeah. I think one of the first things and um it's information That we're working on getting out there is living within like 30 to 40 minutes of the shelter is really helpful.
00:06:51
Speaker
um We do have a full veterinary team, which is amazing. That's awesome. Yeah. um And that does mean that all of that care goes through the shelter, barring like overnight emergencies. um And so if you live over that 40 minutes, that can be really hard to make those trips back and forth. Right. And so we do look at that initially.
00:07:08
Speaker
And then um we also look at the resident pets that you have in the home. So you do have to adhere to certain just kind of rules and regulations based on where you live um and kind of the limits that they have in place.
00:07:20
Speaker
And that's part of what we look at when you do submit your application. We don't report it to anybody. We're Just look at that. Right, right, right. Because I know some people are a little nervous to tell us what they have in the home. um And then just kind of being willing to, you know, welcome something into your home, open your heart, yeah um and just be willing to also say goodbye.
00:07:40
Speaker
and goodbye can look different sometimes. And so we definitely talk through what that can look like and what the options are. um But just knowing that whenever you do say goodbye, we're going to have another animal in need so fast. true. And so that heart that has a hole in it will stuff something right back into it really soon. all right yeah um Yeah. And so I think that just kind of being willing and open to try that is ah is one of the biggest things.
00:08:03
Speaker
And is this something like a family with kids can be part of the program or kind of how do you navigate that if someone wants to be involved with their children? Yeah. So you do have to be 18, at least 18 to be the foster on file. But kiddos are definitely encouraged. um If you're going to foster some of our adult animals, some of them have restrictions and we're really upfront about that.
00:08:22
Speaker
um But that doesn't mean that you can't foster. ok So sometimes we'll have animals on there that have no restrictions and those might be really good for you to take with kiddos. And then it's good information for us to have because we have adopters with children as well. Right, right. And you can tell us how they did with your children and then they know. um The ones that have restrictions, you just know that that's not a good fit for you as a foster home. And you can just kind of scroll past them in the blast. yeah You're never forced to take a foster pet.
00:08:50
Speaker
And then if you have, you know, other pets in the home, sometimes we have dogs that don't get along with other dogs or we know shouldn't be with cats. And so there's going to be all these little pieces of the puzzle that kind of fit together. um and that's where I come in as the foster coordinator and can help you decide, is this a good fit or not? um And the other piece, too, is if we send them to your home and then you realize it's not a good fit, yeah coming back is never a bad thing. um Yeah, we've got good information that we can share with somebody else.
00:09:18
Speaker
And they try it. And like you said, there's always another pet that they can foster. Absolutely. Like that. Hey, well, you kind of mentioned this a little bit, we're in the springtime, which is generally known as bottle it's say bottle baby kitten season. Tell us a little bit more about what it goes into taking
Caring for Bottle Baby Kittens
00:09:33
Speaker
care of those little guys. Yeah, bottle babies are one of our biggest needs and it's purely because they cannot live without us. um So they can, at a glance, when you're thinking about taking care of these, feel like really hard. yeah um Definitely, if you have more than one person in the home, this is a really good option because they need to be fed at the beginning every two to three hours and that piece goes fast. Yeah. um So by the time you finish feeding them, you're like, well, I'm done. Okay, i have to get up and feed them again. um So having a family member or maybe even a group of people willing to tag in can be helpful. um But that goes really fast. And eventually it's every four hours, every six hours. And so it it can start to feel a little bit easier.
00:10:12
Speaker
And then um they'll need to be stimulated so they can't potty on their own. Yeah. um So that's another part of it. Clean them up. And then just providing a warm place for them. They can't do any of their own thermoregulating, so they can't stay warm on their own. um And then they also can't cool themselves down, so they just need to be able to move away from the heat. And then just taking really cute pictures and, of course, socializing them. yeah um Something that is really cool with baby animals, whether it's bottle baby kittens or puppies, is that you get to help shape how they're going to be as adults. So if you know their adopter or not, you know that you're directly influencing how they're going to be as adult animals.
00:10:50
Speaker
That's really special. And I know recently we did a video with some of the cute little kittens you had. yeah It was just so heartwarming and they're so little. But they were very social with you. And that's what I remember. So that's important.
00:11:02
Speaker
yeahp Yeah. It's going to be incredible. And a lot of our fosters do have adopters lined up, which is an option. um You can line up adopters for your fosters and they kind of get that first option to adopt. And then you get updates on them. um It doesn't happen for every single one, but sometimes that's a cool way to interact with your fosters later on.
00:11:20
Speaker
That's great. i love that. um Are there any foster success stories you can share with us today?
Success Story: Moo the Foster Dog
00:11:27
Speaker
Yes, I joked earlier all of them. That's what we wanted. Yeah. There was one that stuck out to me, though, um as I was kind of thinking through all of the fosters um that have happened in my time with Riverdale so far, and it has been one whole year or so. I would say that Moo Moo is a dog, a foster that stuck out to me. And she's actually one of our mom dogs with puppies that came in. oh um And so she is a five year old kind of lab chihuahua mix. She's like, oh, well, funky looking dog. um um But it was after kind of all of our mass impounds had calmed down and another shelter reached out to us and asked if we could help. Okay. And she was really shut down at the other shelter and just kind of, they weren't really sure if they were going to be able to interact with her. And we had a foster step up and say that she could take in this mom and her babies. oh and she just opened up in the foster home. so She, within the first day, was asking for attention and totally trusting them with her babies. wow And just melted in the foster home and became a totally different dog. And um when she returned, she stayed really open and warming. and was adopted, I think, within a week of returning for her surgery for um to for her space surgery and to go up for adoption.
00:12:43
Speaker
Her puppies were perfect, of course. Of course. um And it just, yeah, it was a total turnaround and I think an example of success for behavior um In the shelter, it can be really scary, especially for moms to have a family and to try to keep them safe.
00:12:58
Speaker
um And for any dog, too, sometimes what we see in the shelter isn't what we see in the home. And we know that. And that's why foster is so important. um And especially for her, you know, she got that second chance to really show us what she was all about.
00:13:10
Speaker
Yeah, Moo Moo is a prime example of that, right? Sometimes the shelter environment, again, is stressful. How could it not be, right? Right. oh that's great. that's love that story. Go, Moo Moo. Yep.
Supporting the Foster Program
00:13:22
Speaker
um If someone isn't really in the position to foster right now, how else can they support your program? Yeah, so they can definitely tell everybody that they know, of their followers on Facebook or Twitter, all of their friends, um that fostering is an option. I think that sometimes just word of mouth is really big. um You know, they can say that they heard about this really cool program and kind of what it takes to foster.
00:13:47
Speaker
They can also definitely go online. We have an Amazon wish list with a foster specific one. I think it's a bottle baby specific one. we Yeah, that's right. but donate supplies that way. and That really helps us get through kitten season.
00:13:59
Speaker
um Right now we're kind of in the gathering stage for our supplies to get through kitten season, but at any point during the year, it's really helpful for us. um And then you can also adopt is helpful. I know if fostering maybe doesn't feel right for any reason, maybe adopting is really helpful.
00:14:14
Speaker
um Or even just sharing our website and letting people know that we have these animals up for adoption. um And maybe they want to go check them out at the shelter and just talking about Riverdale in any way um to let let people know that we're here yeah um can be really helpful because you don't know how somebody might want to interact with us. and And maybe they'll find a lost pet. Maybe they'll want to foster. maybe they'll want to adopt. yeah um It keeps our animals moving. And that's really helpful.
00:14:39
Speaker
That's great. That was awesome. Well, before you wrap up, is there anything else you want to add or talk about? Did we miss anything?
Closing and Contact Information
00:14:45
Speaker
I think that, um you know, we had a really great year last year for fostering, and I'm super excited to see where we go this year. And just um if anybody really wants to open up their home for a foster pet, I think it's a really cool way to experience having a pet sometimes. um But you don't have to do the full commitment if that's not for you. Perfect.
00:15:01
Speaker
Well, great. Thank you so much, Jen, for being here. And thank you all for tuning in. If you want more information on fostering with Riverdale, you can email fosterquestions at adamscountyco.gov or visit riverdaleanimalshelter.org.
00:15:15
Speaker
We'll see you next time. That's a wrap for this episode of All In Adams. Thank you for joining us as we explore the people, programs, and the policies that make Adams County a great place to live, work, and thrive.
00:15:28
Speaker
If you enjoyed the show, be sure to subscribe and share with your friends, neighbors, and colleagues. Have a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know. We're All In for bringing you the stories that matter most.
00:15:39
Speaker
Until next time, take care of each other and stay connected with us on Facebook, Instagram, Nextdoor, and x We're all in, Adams, and we're all in for you.