A path to joy: Fosters help dogs find forever homes at this Lee’s Summit non-profit
If you’re looking to adopt a dog, or even just to take care of one for a while, Furry Kids Refuge has some fuzzy friends to share with you. The Lee’s Summit-based animal rescue non-profit is a little bit different from your traditional shelter.
It’s a network of foster homes for dogs and does not have a central facility open to the public. The group used to foster cats as well, but longtime volunteer Peggy Lancaster said the group had much more trouble finding people who would take on foster cats than those who would take dogs.
Volunteers have seen a surge in pets that need homes, and several of them said it’s at least partially due to people who got a dog when they were home all day during the height of the pandemic. Once workers returned to regular offices, many were unable to manage their dogs.
“This is the worst we’ve really ever seen it,” Lancaster said.
Many of the dogs they take in are mothers who come from puppy mills. Lancaster said they rehabilitate these dogs, who are often traumatized or in poor health, before attempting to match them with a new family.
“We help a lot of ones that are special-needs dogs,” said volunteer Connie Lawson.
Lawson said she uses the patience she learned as a school bus driver when helping with the dogs.
Other dogs come from rural shelters with the hope that they’ll have a better chance of getting adopted in a more populated area.
The group is at Petco, 1860 N.W. Chipman Road, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. nearly every Saturday with a selection of the dogs that are ready for adoption.
But if you want to adopt, it’s not as simple as pointing to a dog and saying, “I want that one.” The group has an application, and volunteers check out all the information applicants provide.
“We make sure they’re who they say they are and they live where they say they live. You’d be surprised how many people will lie on an application. ‘Oh, I have a fenced-in yard.’ No, they don’t,” Lancaster said.
Volunteers will even check with the family vet to see how well people have cared for previous pets.
“The foster (person) is ultimately the one that helps make the decision who adopts their foster (dog). They know more about that animal than anyone else,” Lancaster said.
Over the years, volunteers have fostered a lot of dogs. Lawson and fellow volunteer Jennifer Hudson said they’ve each fostered around 200 dogs for Furry Kids.
When people foster a dog, the group pays for all the bills, from food to the vet. All they need is a place for the dog to live and someone to look after it. Furry Kids Refuge uses grants and donations to pay for the animal care.
Lancaster estimated the group has facilitated more than 6,000 animal adoptions since its inception and continues to help between 250 and 300 dogs per year.
“I personally keep in touch with all my adoptees and send a message every once in a while saying, ‘How are things? Any updates?’ Most of our fosters do the exact same thing,” Lancaster said.
The non-profit is always looking for more volunteers, and fostering dogs is just one option. They also need people to help with set-up and tear-down at Petco. Volunteers at the Saturday Petco events must be 17 or have a parent with them. People can also help provide transportation for dogs or assist with fundraisers.
For more information on volunteering, fostering or adopting a dog, visit furrykidsrefuge.org.
