Home for the Holidays: Local shelter launches fostering program

ALLENTOWN, Pa. - Sometimes, the best ideas happen by accident.

“So, last November, I met a dog named Gabbi that we had rescued here, at the Lehigh County Humane Society, and she was such a great dog that my wife and I decided to take her home over the Christmas holidays,” said Hal Warner, CEO of the Lehigh County Humane Society.

But, a temporary, foster home turned into a permanent home.

A dog at the Lehigh County Humane Society.

“By the time we got to a week before Christmas, we decided this dog wasn’t going anywhere,” Warner continued.

Hal and his wife fell in love with a shelter dog and they know others will, too.

“We decided what a great opportunity to give people a chance to warm up their home by having a dog to come in and stay with them and, on the other side, give a dog an opportunity to come into somebody’s home and spend the holidays outside of the shelter,” Warner explained.

The Home for the Holidays program is a simple program. Between December 16th and January 6th, people can fill out an application to bring one of the dogs home and be part of the family.

Information on Home for the Holidays at the Lehigh County Humane Society.

“It gives them two or three weeks to say, ‘You know what? This might work out,’ and to spend some time with an animal they like and see if it’s a good fit for them,” Warner added.

Everyone will fall in love with Felicity, but is everyone ready to commit to raising an eight-week-old puppy? Chubbs was chill in the cage, but really wanted to play. Ethan was curious and friendly. Linda is one of the longest term residents, even though all she wants to do is give hugs and kisses.

Linda the dog at Lehigh County Humane Society.

“We have something for everybody. If you want to find the dog of your dreams, come on down to the Lehigh County Humane Society and I’m pretty sure you’ll find it,” Warner said.

This is the first year of the Home for the Holidays partnership between the humane society and Peaceable Kingdom Shelter. They just want to get the dogs out of cages and into homes that will love having them.

Ethan the dog at Lehigh County Humane Society.

“The best case scenario is that someone comes in and finds a dog that they like and takes it home for the holidays and decides to adopt it and gives it a great life,” Warner stated.

People interested in the program can get more information from the Lehigh County Humane Society here.