LuvnPupz foster program seeks volunteers to help Clear the Shelters

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A metro Grand Rapids-based animal rescue is working to match foster puppies with families who have a lot of love to give.

Mercedes Standard has fostered through LuvnPupz , which does not have its own shelter and instead relies on fosters, for six years and counting.

“(Fostering is) usually pretty fairly easy. It only becomes hard when there are ones you want to keep,” Standard said.

LuvnPupz founder and president Carri Shipaila said some dogs who are rescued from shelters are sickly and face euthanasia so their illness would not expose the rest of the shelter’s population. She said volunteer foster families play a key role in saving their lives.

While some foster cases are more dire, Standard said the organization does a great job at making appropriate matches.

“We do a really good job of matching people with what they can handle,” Standard said. “Making sure they’re getting fed three times a day, learning how to go to outside to go potty.”

While the puppies only stay in a home for a little while, Standard said fostering is the most rewarding when she witnesses love at first sight.

“When you see your foster with their new family, you see the way they interact and the sparks and the falling in love — that’s what makes (fostering) easy to continue doing,” Standard said.

Applications to adopt or foster pets can be found on the LuvnPupz website .

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