It’s Veterans Day, which is observed every year on November 11 on the anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I in 1918, is a day here in the United States that we honor our veterans for their service for their country and to sacrifice for the common good.
Lots of those veterans were deployed far from home and left home and family. And some of them left behind pets, who may have been the only family they had. We want to recognize the pets of the veterans who went through long separations from the humans they loved and trusted. Unlike human family members, cats and dogs can’t understand explanations about why their humans went away to serve. They just know that they were gone, and that must have been lonely and maybe frightening for them.
There are pets today who are going to be that kind of veterans, too. Their humans are deploying right now, and not all of them have a trusted human to take care of them while they are becoming veterans. It’s scary to think that many cats and dogs might be relinquished to shelters because they don’t have anywhere to go while their humans deploy.
While we often think of fostering as something you do for animals waiting for adoption into forever homes, did you know that there are also organizations that arrange foster homes for cats and dogs whose humans are deploying? These groups include:
- Guardian Angells for Soldier’s Pet
- Dogs on Deployment (not just for dogs!)
- Foster Military Pets
- NetPets Military Fostering
- PACT for Animals Military Foster Program
Many local rescue orgnaizations also have fostering programs, so ask around your area if you would like to foster a cat or dog veteran-to-be so that they can celebrate with their veteran when deployment is over.
The Friends FURever blog humans fostered a cat whose human was deployed, and she was a very nice kitty who showed up on the blog frequently while she lived with them. I think these programs are great and wish there were even more!
Those programs for fostering the cats and dogs for the people that are deployed are just terrific. I remember that kitty the Friends forever fostered. Great post.
Summer beat us to it…the Florida Furkids fostered a cat for a human that was deployed. They featured her several times on their blog. What great programs these are.
Such a wonderful post! We will always remember and love our Veterans!
A friend of mine fosters disabled cats too – most of them end up living with her for ever.
Luv Hannah and Lucy xx xx
I didn’t know there were programs like that and I am so glad to hear that there are!
Bravo! This needed to be written!
WHAT A WONDERFUL POST……WE THANK ALL OUR VETERANS, PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE FOR THEIR SERVICE
Hugs madi your bfff
That is such a great idea and could be so helpful to someone who has to deploy.
guys…way awesum post two day; thanx for bringin it two light ♥♥
We signed up to be boarders for Dogs on Deployment a few months ago. So far we haven’t had any boarders, but hopefully we will have someone to help soon!
How cool is that. Wasn’t one of the cat bloggers or maybe it was someone on FB fostering for a Vet?
What great information! Thank you!
We never thought of this before. Thanks for calling this need to our attention and to the attention of so many others. XOCK, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo