We are so excited to be shining a light on our amazing foster parents Rob Lavroff and Ashley Parkurst this month. Rob and Ashley are always ready to help when we reach out to them about vulnerable pets in need of fostering, and they’ll often offer to pick up the same day. Even several medications and specialized medical care doesn’t seem to faze them! They’re always so kind, patient, and dedicated to their foster pets!
Fostering is a family affair for Rob and Ashley. Not only is this couple dedicated to providing loving care, but their beloved pets pup Delano and cat Julius get in on the action as well. This couple fostered with another organization in California that sparked their love for fostering. They starting fostering for Seattle Humane in October 2022. Read on to learn more about this foster family!
Do you have a favorite foster pet? If so, why were they your favorite?
We loved them all, but Radley (an orange kitten) sticks out for his ability to sustain long screams for food.
What inspired you to foster pets with Seattle Humane?
We wanted to gauge how our dog would respond to having a co-pet, so we fostered a litter of kittens just before moving to Seattle, when we lived in California. We got hooked pretty much immediately and got an inevitable foster-fail out of the way early with our cat Julius.
What is the most rewarding aspect of fostering?
Watching foster pets improve over time, whether it’s with health, weight, socialization, etc. This is especially true for animals that lots of people/shelters would’ve given up on but SHS and their wonderful staff gave a chance! We’ve seen legs needing amputation, organ issues, and some stuff too gross to mention here, but SHS got them what they needed.
When/how did your love of animals begin?
Rob was born with a dog named Noodles in the house and later had two greyhounds in the family named Ida and Mel. Ashley grew up loving all animals and believing she was part mountain goat. She had rabbits, hamsters, mice, and cats when she was young, and her parents caved when she was 11 and got her a Jack Russell puppy named Maya, who she took care of even after college. One of the first events Ashley invited Rob to was Maya’s quinceanera!
Are there any experiences that you feel helped prepare you for fostering (previous jobs, internships, schooling, residential pets, etc.)?
Rob did research in a chemistry lab in college and made pretty much every mistake you can with a syringe or scale. Now he only works on chemistry research from a desk and computer but takes breaks to hone his measurement experience for foster pets. For better or worse, Ashley’s job as a hydrogeologist does not overlap with fostering. Caring for her childhood dog Maya, as she grayed and developed Cushing’s gave her a lot of experience with puppy pads and hiding medication in treats, though.
Do you have any pets of your own?
We have a six year old pitbull mix named Delano (Del) and a two year old cat named Julius.
Besides fostering, tell us about your hobbies. Do you have any hidden talents we might not know about?
Together, we like skiing, cooking, and bowling. Rob likes making music and obsessing over the Sopranos. Ashley likes making art and looking at houses we can’t afford on Zillow. We’re both trying some new hobbies we’re bad at, like woodcarving (Rob), banjo and pottery (Ashley).
What advice would you give to others who are thinking about fostering a pet?
Do it! How many other forms of volunteering give you a bunch of cute pets hanging out at your house?
