Our Foster Parent Spotlight series highlights some of the incredible humans that are a part of our extended Seattle Humane family and that care for our animals outside of the shelter.
Megan Nystrom: August 2022
We are thrilled to shine a spotlight on foster parent Megan Nystrom! Since she started fostering for Seattle Humane in 2018, Megan has fostered 84 felines and counting! Not only is Megan an exemplary foster parent, but she is always willing to lend a helping hand to our foster staff members on campus. Continue reading Megan’s story to learn how her past volunteer experience at a wildlife rehabilitation center prepared her for fostering neonatal kittens and discover her unique new hobby!
Rebecca Abram: July 2022
This month we are thrilled to feature Rebecca Abram as our Foster of the Month! Rebecca has cared for 15 dogs and puppies since she started fostering in November 2020, but she went above and beyond this May when Seattle Humane was facing a foster emergency. A truckload of dogs – including 37 puppies – had just arrived from out-of-state with a dog on board who tested positive for parvovirus, a highly contagious and potentially deadly disease. We put out the call for fosters and Rebecca took in four of the pups.
Ghayda Mirzaa: June 2022
This month we are excited to feature Ghayda Mirzaa as our Foster of the Month! She is one of our newest fosters, but with three kittens fostered and counting since she started in April, we are already impressed by her dedication and willingness to learn the best ways to support animals in her care. Ghayda comes from a family of cat enthusiasts growing up with a dad who was dedicated to helping stray cats in need. This early exposure to strays and kittens requiring higher levels of care prepared Ghayda for life as a foster.
Ellie Ish: May 2022
Ellie Ish started fostering with Seattle Humane in March 2017 and has fostered 41 animals to date! They primarily foster cats, doing everything from caring for bottle babies to geriatric seniors. We are so grateful to Ellie for their amazing skills and dedication as a foster parent. They take excellent care of their foster pets, whether they are itty-bitty bottle babies or super-senior geriatric. We appreciate their ongoing help, and support and for being a great communicator with our foster team .
Rita Glickman: April 2022
This month, we are excited to feature Rita Glickman! While Rita does not foster pets, as a foster admin volunteer (FAV), she plays an invaluable role in assisting the foster program and helping to build community between Seattle Humane’s foster parents.
Liz Cambridge: March 2022
This month we are excited to feature Liz Cambridge! To date, she has fostered seven dogs, as well as Trubbs, a dog she is currently fostering outside of Seattle Humane. A talented and dedicated foster parent with a strong interest in animal psychology, Liz has taken care of some of Seattle Humane’s most difficult-to-place dogs.
Season Yoshida: February 2022
We are excited to introduce this month’s foster spotlight, Season Yoshida! Season started fostering with us in June of 2020 and, in the short amount of time since, has been a magical fostering machine. A cat whisperer known for working with adult and senior cats in need of specialized care, Season has already fostered 33 animals with Seattle Humane. Her enthusiasm and passion for supporting cats in need of extra attention and help has been a lifesaver for our animals and staff.
Elisabeth: January 2022
Elisabeth has been fostering with Seattle Humane since September 2019, and so far, with the help of her family, has fostered 45 animals. From kittens, puppies and dogs to critters, including rabbits, guinea pigs and mice, Elisabeth is always excited and ready to support a new foster. Originally, her husband proposed fostering as a way to see if their family was ready for a full-time pet. But once they saw the positive impact that fostering can have on an animal’s life, their perspective changed and they were hooked.
Jana Raasch: December 2021
We are excited to announce this month’s Foster Spotlight, Jana Raasch! Jana has been fostering with us since May 2020 and, so far, has fostered three dogs. She has a special knack for connecting with dogs that would typically struggle to find a foster because of behavioral challenges. Jana and her husband, Todd, help their foster dogs get to a place where they can relax and truly enjoy life as a dog.
Traci Lobo: November 2021
We’re excited to share this month’s foster spotlight, Traci Lobo! To date, Traci has fostered 25 dogs ranging from puppies to adults. She is always open to taking on challenging cases and has a talent for meeting each foster dog with compassion and patience. And with her large, fenced-in yard, she has a great space for any dog to call their temporary home.
Currently, she’s fostering six puppies, who were recently born at Seattle Humane, as well as their mom, Rita. This is the third group of puppies she’s had back-to-back!
Edmund Wong: October 2021
We are excited to share this month’s foster spotlight, Edmund Wong! When it comes to fostering, Edmund typically has a steady stream of cats in his care. Once he drops a foster off at the shelter, it’s not long before he’s ready for another. While he’s only been fostering with us for a little over three years, Edmund has already cared for 35 animals! Always open to help any animal in need, he fosters many cats undergoing medical treatment, especially upper respiratory infections (URI).
Liza and Richard: September 2021
Over the past two and a half years, Liza and Richard have collectively fostered over 75 pets for Seattle Humane. From pregnant guinea pigs, puppies, nursing cats, adult dogs, and bonded pairs, they’ve done it all. As members of our foster program, as well as being part of our Shelter Care team, these two go above and beyond for our furry friends every day. Even with their busy schedules, Liza and Richard provide some of the most thorough care we have ever seen.
Read more about Liza and Richard!
Rosella Picado: August 2021
The Foster Program is thrilled to recognize Rosella Picado as our Foster Parent Spotlight for August of 2021. In the five months since Rosella started fostering for Seattle Humane, her open and willing attitude toward taking on adult dogs with high energy and behavioral challenges has stood out.
Colleen Bell: July 2021
The Foster Program is excited to announce this month’s Foster Parent Spotlight, Colleen Bell! Since 2015, she’s fostered 141 animals for Seattle Humane, including under-aged, under-socialized, and medical cats. However, her specialty is ringworm kitties. Colleen is one of only a handful of foster parents who regularly fosters cats with ringworm and she does a great job with them! She also volunteers each week in the Seattle Humane isolation ward on campus.
Evelyn Barron-Roemer: June 2021
The Foster Program is pleased to recognize Evelyn Barron-Roemer as our Foster Parent Spotlight for June 2021. Evelyn has a special place in many hearts at Seattle Humane for her long-term dedication to volunteering. Evelyn provides excellent care to the many complex medical cases she fosters. She is patient, compassionate, and has a great sense of humor. In the past 9 years, Evelyn has fostered 137 animals including cats, kittens, dogs, and puppies! However, her work at Seattle Humane isn’t limited to fostering. Evelyn started out as a cat care volunteer and now volunteers for our Lifesaver Program transporting animals to and from Seattle Humane. You can catch her riding shotgun in the truck feeding bottle babies, loading up crates of animals from disaster relief transfers, or processing intake assessments.
Erika Walker: May 2021
Congratulations to our May 2021 Foster Parent of the Month, Erika Walker! As a Seattle Humane foster parent for close to 5 years, Erika has fostered nearly 200 animals! She is an expert in working with kittens that require intensive care and often takes on our toughest kitten cases! Erika provides professional level care, keeps detailed notes, and approaches each foster kitten with an abundance of love. We enjoy working with Erika because she is kind, optimistic, and patient with the foster team. She’s no stranger to long vet appointments, yet she always meets the Foster team with a positive attitude and a smile.
Patrick Kelleher: April 2021
We are delighted to acknowledge Patrick Kelleher as the Foster Parent of the Month for April 2021! Patrick has made an immense impact in the 11 months that he has been fostering adult dogs for Seattle Humane. Patrick has fostered three very special dogs with the help of his partner, Alicia. We are recognizing Patrick as FPOM for the unwavering compassion, patience and understanding he approaches each foster pet with. Patrick’s attitude and home setup makes him a perfect fit for our dogs that face behavioral challenges.
Barry Scott: March 2021
First up is Barry Scott, who has fostered over 100 cats during the 13 years he has fostered with Seattle Humane with a specialty in working with fearful and behaviorally challenged cats. He is also a volunteer for our Pet Food Bank.
Shout out to Patrick and Barry. What a wonderful way to honor these amazing foster homes! It was interesting to read about them and their fosters.
Thanks to them and ALL the foster families and volunteers who make a difference in the lives of the animals that come to SHS.
Hello Patrick, Alicia, & Barry,
Thank you for all the hours of care and compassion you have given to the many dogs and cats you have taken into your homes. Fostering gives these animals a much needed break from the shelter environment. Additionally, the one on one attention can help settle the anxiety many shelter animals experience, which leads to a greater success with adoption. I can’t thank you enough for all the animals you have helped in their time of need. 🐕 ❤️ 🐈
I am so excited to join your foster family