President’s Letter – January 2023

Happy New Year!  2023 is going to be a great year for Rancho Coastal Humane Society (RCHS)!

In the midst of the physical changes we have been making to get ready for our campus expansion, we have been making some other behind-the-scenes moves that you might not have noticed, maybe because the construction fences blocked your view!

First, we launched our “Doggy Day Out,” a foster program which is meant to give a shelter dog the chance to spend two hours with a trained volunteer at home. You can read more about that program in Olive’s story HERE. Not all “Doggy Day Out” experiences lead to adoption, but they all create the perfect opportunity to learn more about our adoptable animals.

Then, we introduced a new Director of Foster Programs. You all know Mikalla, who joined RCHS in 2018, left for a bit and then came back in January 2020 (after much wooing on our part!). Mikalla has a new title and new responsibilities – just when and where we need her most!  Our Foster Programs will provide the relief needed from the changes that our project brings as we squeeze our campus during construction in order to grow our campus for the future.

So, how’s Mikalla doing so far?  Meet Gondor, Kyle, Sir (with Doris) and Tulip in their foster homes. They have been enjoying the holidays off campus – like college students on Christmas break – and they are settling into a daily routine that will remind our adoptable animals of what awaits them in forever homes. New foster volunteers are being interviewed, trained and supported as we start this migration of RCHS adoptable animals to homes in our community. Foster volunteers help us to rescue more abandoned animals from overcrowded shelters.  As RCHS PR Director John Van Zante likes to say, “When you foster, you change two lives – the one in your home and the one who just arrived at the shelter to fill that kennel!”

Two hours, two days, two weeks. . .fosters make a difference in the lives of our dogs, cats and rabbits… even the two adoptable budgies (yes, birds) that are in foster! Not everyone can adopt, but anyone can foster. Mikalla will make sure you have everything you need to make your foster experience a success. We cannot stop you from falling in love, but you can love them all the way to their forever homes. Then, you can do it all over again.

We have lots more planned for the Foster Programs. To those fosters who have served us so well for so long, thanks for leaning in! To those fosters who are new, welcome to a life-changing experience, for you and your charge! For RCHS companion animals, this will be a bright new year!