Did you know that June is National Foster a Pet Month? If you didn’t, you might be surprised by one of the statistics shared by the Petco Foundation.

Susanne Kogut, president of the Petco Foundation, reported that if “2% of pet-owning households in the U.S. fostered just one pet a year, we could eliminate unnecessary euthanasia in this country, not just during the COVID-19 shutdown, but forever.”

Kogut encouraged individuals to continue to foster as businesses begin to reopen.

“Our goal is to make sheltering pets in foster homes, versus animal shelters, the new normal, so we can create a lifesaving nation together,” Kogut stated.

The Petco Foundation points to the increased numbers of individuals that fostered pets in their homes during the peak of the pandemic. As record numbers of pets were placed in foster homes as opposed to shelters, the number of pets euthanized dropped.

And as anyone who has fostered a pet knows, the shelter environment does not help pets showcase their true personalities. A foster home creates an opportunity for a pet to relax and recover from past experiences. This generally increases the chances that the pet will be adopted and transition more successfully in their new home.

The Petco Foundation has an initiative called the Pledge to Save Pet Lives. They are asking pet lovers to consider taking the pledge this June. Individuals can adopt foster, volunteer, or donate. The Foundation’s goal is to get 1.5 millions pledges which matches the approximate number of pets euthanized in shelters each year.