“Kate is an amazing, dedicated, and resilient foster for DPA! She’s most recently tagged a beautiful litter of kittens – the Graphics Crew – and despite lots of quick adoption interest, she’s had to juggle many vet appointments, medication schedules, and cleanup to get these babies healthy and ready for their new homes.
On top of that, she and her family agreed to temp foster for Bob Marley – a super sweet darling who needed to have his tail amputated and then was quickly diagnosed with Panleuk (equivalent of Parvo in pups). He’s not out of the woods yet, but she’s documenting his treatment and recovery.
Through everything, she has gone above and beyond for these furry babies – sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly of what it really means to foster – all with grace and positivity. Kate’s amazing husband and kids are committed right alongside her to loving these babes, and getting them healthy for forever homes – embodying the meaning of being foster parents!” -Caitlin Gilbert, DPA!’s Feline Assistant Foster Director
It is clear that Kate Miller embodies everything it takes and more as a foster. Read more about her below:
How did you get involved with Fostering with DPA!?
After Hurricane Harvey, we heard the shelters needed to make room for incoming animals. We found Dallas Pets Alive! and fostered our first dog, Red.
Tell us about a few of your fosters.
Red was our very first and one of my favorites. He was so shut down and terrified, he made so much progress with us! Seeing what our family could do to help him become a fun-loving dog just hooked us on this mission to give pets a second chance. Our first kittens were Tuff and Tess, they were little, cute, fluff balls of hissy kittens we got from the TNR (Trap, Neuter, Release) program DPA! runs. Helping them become little fluff balls of cuddly fun was so rewarding.
What is your favorite animal adoption story?
We fostered a puppy named Tonk who looked like a hairless mole. He had been abandoned at the age of 4 weeks. We got him and got him healthy, but we realized there was an issue with his leg. It ended up needing to be amputated. He bounced back so quickly! A trainer for amputee veterans, athletes, and service men/women ended up adopting him. He now gets to go on kayaking trips and to the gym with his athletes for moral support!
What do you love most about fostering with Dallas Pets Alive!?
The support they give and the mission to keep it positive. We have control over who we choose to foster and are never pressured into taking an animal. There’s an online group for the fosters and it’s an amazing community of diverse people who all have the mission of giving these pups and cats a second chance.
What would be some words of wisdom to new DPA! Fosters?
Communicate and get on the Facebook group! You’ll be blown away by the support. Be prepared to stick it out with whatever issues may arise, but there is a large amount of knowledge, wisdom, and support available. You will learn so much about yourself!
Give us a fun fact about you!
We’ve fostered 24 dogs and cats. It’s a family group effort! Our kids love fostering and it has shown them SO MUCH about compassion and love! They are a huge part of helping these animals.
Be Pawsome like Kate. Apply to be a Dallas Pets Alive! foster today!
