As the summer season heats up, animal shelters across Philadelphia are feeling the strain of overcrowding. With the number of homeless pets steadily increasing, the need for foster caregivers is more urgent than ever. Summer brings a surge in shelter intakes as animals are found as strays or surrendered, but it also brings opportunity: more people are home, routines are more flexible, and there’s no better time to make a lifesaving difference by fostering. To meet this critical moment, PAWS (Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society), the city’s largest rescue partner, is launching the Everyday Heroes: Foster Challenge — a month-long initiative and urgent call to action to place 150 pets into foster homes between Friday, June 20 and Sunday, July 20.

Fostering is one of the most powerful ways to help Philadelphia’s homeless and at-risk pets. By caring for an animal temporarily, foster parents free up shelter space, provide crucial socialization, help prepare pets for adoption, and even make joyful reunions possible for beloved pets whose owners are navigating challenging times. PAWS’ Everyday Heroes: Foster Challenge aims to recruit both seasoned fosters and first-timers — empowering more people to discover the lifesaving impact they can have. Throughout the month, PAWS will provide information on pet fostering, host tabling events across the city, share powerful foster success stories, all in an effort to encourage community members to step forward and become the hero so many homeless pets are waiting for.

PAWS provides foster parents with everything needed to ensure a successful and rewarding experience. Each foster animal is carefully matched with a foster parent by PAWS’ Adoptions and Foster Team based on lifestyle, experience, and household considerations, including resident pets. PAWS covers all medical care for foster animals and offers consistent communication and support throughout the fostering journey. Supplies such as food, cat litter, toys, enrichment supplies, and leashes are also provided as needed.

The animals currently in the greatest need of foster homes include kittens and nursing mothers, adult cats with medical conditions, dogs of all sizes, and owned pets requiring temporary housing through PAWS’ Safety Net Foster Program. The Safety Net Foster Program offers short-term housing for pets whose families are navigating crises such as housing instability, medical emergencies, or other life transitions. By providing a temporary haven, fosters don’t just keep animals out of shelters – they preserve the precious bond between pets and their families and make stressful times less painful.

The demand for safety net fostering continues to grow, and PAWS’ ability to help depends entirely on the availability of compassionate foster homes. Becoming a foster in this program offers tangible, immediate relief to families in crisis and plays a critical role in keeping beloved pets with the people who love them.

Baby Girl (below), a seven-year-old cat currently enrolled in PAWS’ Safety Net Foster Program, is just one example of the many pets waiting for foster homes. She has cerebellar hypoplasia, a neurological condition that causes unsteady movement and tremors, but she is otherwise healthy, affectionate, and enjoys spending time with her people. While she is currently safe at PAWS’ Spay/Neuter and Wellness Clinic in Grays Ferry, Baby Girl needs a temporary foster home where she can receive love and care until she can be reunited with her family. Her story illustrates the vital role that Safety Net fosters play in keeping pets safe during difficult times and ensuring the families who love them can stay together.

Dogs like Colette (below), a medium-sized pup currently in PAWS’ care, are among the many dogs in need of foster homes. Colette is on a weight gain journey and would thrive in a home where she can fill both her belly and her heart. Food-motivated and easy to please, she’s still adjusting to the shelter environment, but she’s already showing signs of becoming a loyal companion. Fostering dogs like Colette is essential: while dogs of all sizes are in PAWS’ care and need homes, medium and large dogs especially benefit from the space and comfort a foster home can provide. These dogs need room to move, play, and decompress — things that are hard to come by in a shelter setting. Whether you’re a seasoned dog owner or brand new to fostering, PAWS provides the guidance and resources fosters need to succeed. By opening your home temporarily, you’re giving a dog in need the chance to heal, grow, and take the next step toward finding a family of their own.

PAWS is also seeking foster homes for dogs and cats with a variety of medical conditions who need a little extra TLC while they heal from surgery or receive treatment for illnesses or injuries. PAWS focuses on rescuing the most vulnerable animals from the city shelter—many of whom are sick, injured, or have age-related medical needs and require care before they can be adopted. Vet care is provided at PAWS’ clinic and coordinated by its experienced team.

“Foster homes are more important than ever, and there’s no greater feeling than opening your home temporarily for a pet in need,” says Tammy Miller, PAWS’ senior foster and adoption manager. “With so many animals relying on us, our goal to place 150 pets in foster homes this month is ambitious — but entirely achievable with community support. Fostering saves lives, especially during the warm months when homeless animals flood our city’s shelters. Every person who opens their home during PAWS’ Everyday Heroes: Foster Challenge becomes a hero to two animals: the one they foster, and the one we’re able to rescue because a space has opened!”

PAWS is completely donor-funded, so its ability to rescue and care for animals depends on the generosity of its supporters. Whether through adopting, fostering, volunteering, or donating, , individuals make PAWS’ lifesaving work possible. Here are a few other ways to support PAWS and save lives during the foster challenge:

• DONATE FOSTER SUPPLIES: PAWS relies on large quantities of wet and dry food, cat litter, and other essential items to care for animals both in the shelter and in foster homes. The public is encouraged to send items through PAWS’ Foster Program Wishlist, which ensures PAWS has the supplies needed to set up fosters for success.
• MAKE A MONETARY DONATION: Donations help provide veterinary and supportive care for all animals PAWS rescues.
• FOLLOW PAWS ON SOCIAL MEDIA & SHARE THEIR CONTENT: One of the simplest and most effective ways to support the foster program is by engaging with PAWS’ social media accounts on Instagram, Facebook, and BlueSky. PAWS posts daily updates featuring specific animals in need of foster homes, urgent supply needs, and success stories. Liking, commenting, and sharing these posts helps broaden their reach and increases the chances of connecting pets with the homes they need.

The benefits of fostering are immense and far-reaching—not only for the animals, but also for the families who care for them and the broader community. PAWS remains focused on rescuing pets who are unlikely to be saved otherwise and placing them into loving homes. To join the cause and become a hero for pets in need, sign up to foster at phillypaws.org/foster. To learn more about PAWS’ programs, services, and learn more about the Everyday Heroes: Foster Challenge, visit phillypaws.org.