“Taylor is an amazing foster. Not only does she save lives, but she takes in the cats and dogs that literally no one else wants. She does not shy away from ringworm, behavior issues or long term shelter stays. She recently took in two very shy cats from Mesquite Animal Shelter who had been there for over 100 days.
She is an awesome advocate for her fosters and treats them like her own babies. Taylor’s positivity even when things get dark is what makes her an outstanding foster and volunteer. She is so wonderful to work with and we sure are lucky to have her. Thank you Taylor for the countless lives you’ve saved and time you have given to DPA.” -Jenay B., DPA’s Foster Director
Taylor really exemplifies the best of the fosters who support us here at DPA. Read more about her experience here.
How did you get involved with Fostering with DPA?
I heard about fostering with DPA after I adopted my senior dog Naabe from DPA. I was so happy that someone had given Naabe a second chance by fostering her and getting her out of the shelter. I knew how much joy Naabe gave me everyday and I wanted to be able to help other animals in the same way. I fostered a little bit after I adopted Naabe but whenever Covid happened and I was able to be home all day I realized I could start fostering baby kittens who needed more attention! Since April 2021, I have fostered over 33 kittens and cats varying in age and medical conditions. Each one brings me joy and getting to see pictures of them growing and adapting to their new homes is so wonderful!
Tell us about a few of your fosters.
Neo and Peppa were two of my toughest foster medical cases. Below is a short story about each of them.
Neo – In April 2021, I picked Neo up from Irving Animal Shelter. Neo had a severe eye infection in both and both eyes had to be removed because of the infection. I was very worried on how he would adapt in the house after his eyes were removed and he was 100% blind. He was very shy and would hide most days for a few weeks but one day he heard me talking and walked over and pushed his head into my hand. I started to pet and talk to him as not to worry him and he began to softly purr. Neo started to trust me a lot more. Anytime I would take him to the vet when we would wait in the car to be brought inside he would nuzzle began my neck. Neo can do everything a normal cat can do! He can climb, jump and play with everybody. The biggest thing is talking to Neo a lot which is good because I love to talk!
Peppa – In June 2021, I saw a post on the DPA Instagram account pleading for a foster for a kitten who’s back legs didn’t seem to be working properly and only had until 4pm that day to be pulled from the shelter. I went and picked the little kitten up and Peppa has the cutest face with the biggest blue eyes! Peppa had several vet appointments and physical therapy appointments to try and help her as much as we could! We did at home physical training on trying to get her to walk and regain function to her back legs. There was small progress for multiple weeks but we ended up hitting a wall with progress. We have accepted that it is very unlikely she will walk again but this girl is a fighter and doesn’t let it hold her back in the least. Peppa can climb to the top of the cat tree with her very strong front legs and she likes to slide around the house to keep up with the gain!
Fun fact, I foster failed on both of these sweet babies! Neo and Peppa have found their forever home with me and my two dogs, Bubbles and Melo(DPA foster fail)!
What is your favorite animal adoption story?
My favorite animal adoption story is a double adoption of two kittens! A nice family with 2 kids applied to adopt 2 kittens from a litter of 4 kittens The Coffee Kitten but originally wanted to adopt Mocha and Macchiato. We had scheduled a meet and greet for Mocha and Macchiato but I asked if I could bring Cappuccino along because he is very calm and kind and he had done great with kids prior to this. I stayed at their house for over an hour which is not typical but the kids had immediately found their perfect match in a kitten! The son loved Cappuccino because Capp ran right into his room and felt right at home. The daughter bonded with Macchiato because he was a wild child just like her. It was a wonderful adoption process! No worries, Mocha, who was a bit more shy, found a wonderful adopter who let her decompress and be patient with her.
What do you love most about fostering with Dallas Pets Alive?
The thing I love most about fostering with Dallas Pets Alive is getting to meet all of the different adopters and other DPA volunteers!
What would be some words of wisdom to new DPA Fosters?
Honestly, even just fostering one animal helps and changes that animal’s life in a huge way! Do not let the medical case fosters scare you because the DPA medical will help you every step of the way and it is amazing to see the transformation!
Give us a fun fact about you!
I am a Civil Engineer and have fostered over 40 animals since I started volunteering with DPA!
Be Pawsome like Taylor. Apply to be a Dallas Pets Alive! foster today!
