I had long wanted to be a dog foster parent but, as I was only ever home for a few days at a time (sleep off jet lag, wash clothes, go again), it was not the right environment for a pet – even for a borrowed one.

Photograph: Tom Hawking One and a half years on, we have fostered some 30 cats: a cavalcade of kittens, two nursing mothers with their babies, two separate cats named Pebbles, a couple of senior catizens, and a strange beast by the name of Cami who liked to lick my head every night, without fail, at 3am.

The home has had lots of generous offers from people willing to open their homes to its animals during the past couple of months, but had to suspend new fostering applications in order to prioritise working with existing staff and volunteers to provide ongoing care for the dogs and cats during the coronavirus pandemic.

As shelters brace for fewer volunteers and more surrendered animals, Australians are being urged to consider adopting or fostering.As the Covid-19 crisis progresses, RSPCA shelters around Australia have had to change their hours and take a number of other steps to protect their employees, volunteers and animals.

U.S. animal shelters and rescue organizations always rely on volunteers to care for dogs, cats and other pets in their homes temporarily while they wait for a forever home, but foster families will be particularly important during the coronavirus pandemic.

The findings, published in the journal PeerJ , indicate that short-term fostering temporarily reduces cortisol (stress hormone) levels and increases rest in shelter dogs. Md: Do This Immediately if You Have Diabetes (Watch). Md: Do This Immediately if You Have Diabetes (Watch).