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Champion Great Neighborhoods

Goal 1: Foster Healthy and Attractive Neighborhoods
Objective 1: Gain Compliance of Property Maintenance, Health and Animal Codes
Project Performance Measure(s) City Service Team (Department)
CGN Foster Program Improvements Increase volunteer hours Neighborhood Services (Code
1.1.3 Compliance)
Summary:

Arlington Animal Services has a foster program in place Foster Program
that has been focused on kittens and puppies in the past. 300
Since the COVID‐19 crisis, there has been an increased
need for volunteers willing to foster animals of all ages, 271
200
and with special needs. Management plans to grow the
foster program by providing opportunities for more
homeless pets including unweaned animals, adult animals 100 22 27 53
and animals in need. Staff will create an online orientation 81 14 80 55
program to broaden the audience of potential volunteers ‐
for the foster program and will provide higher quality FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021
photos to enhance the marketing of the pets that need to
be fostered. Volunteers Animals Fostered

Update:
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As of the 4 quarter of FY 2021, Arlington Animal Services
continues to have an increase in life saving measures
through the enhanced foster program. Enhancements
include the online orientation for potential foster
volunteers and allowing any adoptable pet who has spent
more than 14 days in the shelter to be fostered by any
approved volunteer, which provides a much‐needed break
for the pet from the kennel environment. In addition to
adoptable dogs, the community now can foster a stray pet
they have found versus leaving it at the shelter. The
citizen brings the lost pet to the shelter where it is scanned
for a microchip, vaccinated, and photographed for the
stray pet’s website, allowing for the owner to search for
their missing pet. Furthermore, Arlington Animal Services
established a private Facebook group for all approved
foster volunteers to share pictures and updates. The
group also provides a support system for fosters and opens
a communication line between AAS staff and members of
the foster program.

During FY 2021, a total of 271 animals went into foster
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care with 101 of these animals being fostered in the 4
quarter alone. Unweaned pets continue to be the animals
most in need of foster homes and 223 of unweaned
animals went into foster care this year.

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