ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Finding homes for adoptable pets is always a challenge, especially with limited space. But shelters like Bernalillo County Animal Care Services have foster programs to help free up that space, and give dogs and cats a break from shelter life.

“We have underage fostering for kittens. And that can be anywhere from zero to eight to nine weeks. And, you know, behavior fostering for cats that can be about two weeks to a month. And then, adult cat fostering for medical needs that can last anywhere between 30 to 90 days,” said Victoria Urrutia, a Bernalillo County Animal Care Services foster coordinator.

Urrutia explained for dogs, there are a few more options.

“We have the Doggie Day Out, which is just a day. We have weekend fostering, which is just a weekend. We can do from Friday to Monday, or Saturday to Monday, since we’re not here on Sundays to take the animal back. So it gives them a little bit more time with the weekend, and then we go from there,” said Urrutia. 

Foster parents can also do short-term fostering for one to two weeks or something longer term.

While a day or two might not seem major, Urrutia says it makes all the difference for the animals.

“It’s really hard for our animals to be stuck in, you know, four walls every single day. So being able to go into a home and experience what home life is like, it just brings those stress levels down. And then, you know, when they do come back, they’re a better them, you know, so they show better for adoption, we know a little bit more about them,” Urrutia said. 

Foster parents are given all the tools necessary, even if you’re just doing a Doggie Day Out.

But what better way then to show you? The shelter matched us up with Joey, a 3-year-old 83 pound German Sheppard mix.

Joey is definitely a gentle giant. He’s easily corrected while walking and could be shy when meeting new people or even other dogs.

The shelter gave us treats, a tennis ball, and waste bags. They didn’t include food because Joey tends to not eat during the day.

They also gave us a little Joey business cards to hand out to any interested foster parents or adopters. It has his information including the animal number, a unique number each animal has so the shelter can keep track of them even if their name changes.

Shelter workers say they’re specific with which dogs they send out, and that’s what happened with Joey.

If you’re interested in adopting Joey, his animal number is “A049649.” You can also find more information about him here.

To look at all adoptable animals in Bernalillo County, click here.

To become a foster parent, you have to fill out this form online. Then, Urrutia will reach out to you with more information.