Thank You, Foster Heroes and Shelter Volunteers
We’re just bursting with appreciation for these unsung heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic: pet fosters! Our compassionate community stepped up and allowed us to place virtually all our shelter animals (dogs, cats, and even a trio of bunnies!) into loving foster homes for the duration of our closure. Some of you offered before we even asked!
We’re sharing pictures that foster homes have sent us on Facebook and right here. They warm the hearts of all of us at CHS, and we hope they bring a smile to your face, too.
April 28, 2021
Volunteer Kathleen and Puppy Dexter
Dexter was adopted that same day!
October 2, 2020
Friday Kitten Litter
If it’s the end of the week, then you know it’s time once again for Grubby Kittens In a Box at your Calaveras Humane Society.
These five little longhairs arrived Friday afternoon covered in fleas and with goopy yucky eyes. They’ve been whisked off to a volunteer foster home where they’ll be gently bathed, flea-combed, and treated with antibiotic eye ointment — after being given good feedings of warm formula.
Interested in fostering? We can always use more helping hands. Please email [email protected] and be sure to include your phone number.
September 23, 2020
What Four Weeks Can Do
What a difference! Four weeks of dedicated TLC in a loving foster home have positively transformed Tank, Pixie, and Dixie (available for adoption in about a month). ❤️🐾
September 21, 2020
Clarabelle
One of the most rewarding things about the work we do is knowing that an animal’s life has been forever changed for the better because of his/her time with us.
Clarabelle was born outdoors to a feral mother. She and her siblings arrived in our care completely unaccustomed to humans (their behavior was what we call “hissy/spitty”). The foster home that took in Clarabelle and her littermates had a tough task: convince these unsocialized orphans that the life of a pet kitten is a wonderful thing, by smothering them with love and affection.
These recent pics of Clarabelle (available for adoption soon!) show that she’s clearly made her choice. Her future as a cherished companion for a lucky new family looks bright indeed. ❤️🐾
September 20, 2020
Bird Watching Foster Kittens
September 9, 2020
Gentle Care
We talk a lot about our great foster moms, but shout out to the foster dads as well! Very often it’s a total team effort in our volunteers’ households to help their charges thrive.
This little orphan, taken in by us last week, is a perfect example. Just look at that giant but oh-so-gentle man hand cradling and feeding the baby! ❤️🐾
September 5, 2020
Willow
August 30, 2020
Bobbi Nutures Foster Kittens
Mixed breed Bobbi was adopted from us in January by a family that later became foster volunteers. What they didn’t know when they adopted was how loving and attentive Bobbi would be to all the kittens who pass through their home.
These little newborns, taken in at our shelter on Thursday, are pictured here receiving thorough “welcome to my house!” tongue baths from Bobbi shortly afterward. ❤️🐾
August 17, 2020
The Tiniest Kitten
August 15, 2020
The Tiniest Kitten
So this little nugget we got today wins the award for Tiniest Kitten We’ve Ever Received.
S/he is likely a preemie, and was born on a doorstep to a mama cat who didn’t return. If we had to guess, we’d say the mother was very likely little more than a kitten herself, and/or possibly scared into preterm labor by a predator.
The itty-bitty one just left with an experienced foster volunteer. Fingers and tails crossed for a happy outcome. ❤️🐾
June 25, 2020
Bobbi Guarding Foster Kitten Cahira
Kitten Cahira (whose story we’ve shared with you here before — found alone in a Burson outbuilding, ice-cold and nearly starved) continues to thrive in foster care. Her self-appointed guardian is Bobbi, adopted from us several months ago. Bobbi watches over her new charge VERY diligently. ❤️🐾
June 27, 2020
Tennessee
“Food is mine. All the food.”
June 11, 2020
Grasshopper
Kitten Grasshopper enjoys hanging out with the resident dog, Colette, in her foster home. ❤️🐾
June 26, 2020
Piper
Piper is the second very-pregnant-and-super-friendly kitty we’ve rescued from colonies so far this year. She’s an especially attentive mama, and the kittens are growing up healthy and strong.
May 30, 2020
Adorable
Just a little afternoon “awwww.” The emaciated and presumably orphaned 10-day-old kitten found alone in a Burson outbuilding May 17 is positively thriving in foster care. Her foster parents have named her Cahira, which is Irish for “warrior.” But this little warrior, although she’s fought hard for her life, has an obvious soft spot for her foster dad. ❤️🐾
April 22, 2020
Pepper's Kittens One Month Later
Pepper, the hugely pregnant and very friendly tortoiseshell we believe was dumped at one of our well-tended, rural feral/community cat colonies at the end of March, is doing a spectacular job raising her youngsters! She’s a wonderfully attentive mama and positively dotes on them.
The crew of four kittens, cozy with their mother in a volunteer foster home, turned one month old yesterday and are simply too adorable for words.
April 8, 2020
Kittens Make Progress
Look whose eyes are open!
The orphaned litter from Murphys we shared with you when we took them in on April 6 is thriving in foster care. They love the bottle and are growing more adorable each day (if that’s even possible).
April 9, 2020
Prada and Gucci Grow Each Day
Prada and Gucci, the newborns found discarded in a closed box on a porch March 25, have opened their eyes — and they simply couldn’t be cuter if they tried. They are thriving in their foster home and eating LOTS. ❤️🐾
April 7, 2020
Aspen Sees Her First Mirror
Foster check-in! Nine-month-old Aspen is settling in nicely in her new digs. “I’m thinking she had never seen a mirror before,” writes her foster mom, “because she likes to stare at herself. A LOT.” ❤️🐾
April 6, 2020
Lily
Fabulous news! We secured a terrific foster home for Lily, the kitty we shared with you yesterday. Lily was the last of our shelter animals in need of fostering, and we are pleased to report that 100% of our pets are now waiting out the coronavirus shutdown in loving home environments.
And lucky Lily couldn’t be in better hands — her new foster mom is a nurse! ❤️🐾
April 6, 2020
Four Fluffy Orphans Safe And Sound
Our world may be topsy-turvy right now, but all these four bits of fluff know is that they’re once again warm, safe, and loved this morning. This orphaned litter from Murphys galvanized us into action today, and will soon be in the capable hands of one of our volunteer fosters getting the best possible care.There’s something kinda reassuring about this living, breathing, purring proof that life goes on, wouldn’t you agree? ❤️🐾
March 30, 2020
Aspen
We appreciate everyone who helped spread the word yesterday about Aspen, our one remaining dog in need of a foster home. Aspen left our shelter today with an ideal foster, one with no other pets who’s looking forward to having some canine company while she shelters in place.
As you can see, Aspen was immediately on board with the plan! ❤️🐾
March 30, 2020
Snuggle Kitty Is A Big Hit
We were tickled pink to open a recent Amazon package and discover that a generous donor sent us a Snuggle Kitty from our Amazon Wishlist — our first!
A Snuggle Kitty is a plush mama cat with a battery operated heartbeat, and is something we’ve coveted for ages.
We decided to give the Snuggle Kitty its first outing with the two orphaned neonatal kittens we told you about Friday.
According to their foster mom, the babies absolutely love it and find it very soothing. “It’s a hit!” she says. ❤️🐾
March 29, 2020
Bunnies At Their Foster Home
We’re delighted to have gotten bunnies Satin and Suede into foster care today for the duration of our coronavirus-related closure. They’re already enjoying some outdoor time in their new digs! ❤️🐾
March 27, 2020
A Pair Of Newborn Kittens
Try telling these two nuggets that we’re closed due to the COVID-19 shelter-in-place directive. We certainly couldn’t. 😉
Found abandoned (by humans) in a box on a front porch Wednesday, these days-old babies are now safely in one of our volunteer foster homes, where they’ll be bottle-fed around the clock.
And because of all of you who donated to our recent formula drive, we had ample supplies on hand to give them a terrific start. Thank you, everyone! ❤️🐾
March 26, 2020
Bowie
Bowie, one of the puppies we were able to get into a loving foster home last weekend, is pictured being introduced to the resident big dog. “Both tails are wagging!” writes his foster mom. ❤️🐾
March 26, 2020
Sedna Is A Chewer
“We are having the pleasure of fostering Brier (now named Sedna) We love have having her ❤️ She is using her big sisters foot as a chew toy 😃”
March 26, 2020
Waco
“We were lucky enough to be able to foster Badger (now named Waco) & he is doing great!!”
March 23, 2020
Khaleesi
Great Pyrenees mix Khaleesi is one of our shelter dogs who found a loving foster home to wait out the shelter-in-place directive. Looks like her new digs agree with her nicely.
HUGE thanks to all the wonderful families who stepped up to foster during this time of need! ❤️🐾
March 26, 2020
Bree
Day 1: “Our Diesel does not know what to make of Bree! 😂”
A Few Days Later: Progress! Snuggles are OK now.
March 22, 2020
Pepper and Newborn Kittens
Life goes on, even in these uncertain times. Hugely pregnant cat “Pepper” showed up in one of our well-tended feral/community cat colonies, where the volunteer colony feeder noticed the friendly new arrival immediately. Due to the colony’s rural location, it’s likely she was abandoned there by humans.
Pepper appeared to be ready to give birth at any time, so we reached out to one of our volunteer foster homes. Pepper settled right in (and received A+ marks for being exceedingly sweet and over-the-top loving).
Yesterday was Pepper’s big day, and she gave birth to four healthy kittens (one orange, one white, and two tabbies). We’re delighted that she will be able to raise her babies in the comfort and warmth of a home, and wish this new feline family health and luck. We’ll keep you updated with photos as Pepper’s offspring grow even more adorable. 
Li
March 21, 2020
We Couldn't Do It Without You
We’re so grateful to these six families for fostering the unexpected litter of seven-week-old puppies we took in Thursday (just before the shelter-in-place directive was given in California). The pups will be receiving loving care in a home environment for the duration of our COVID-19 closure instead of remaining in our shelter, which is absolutely crucial for their development.
All six were picked up today — and we are now officially closed to the public. ❤️🐾
