SAN DIEGO – Kanoe Hoch and her roommates didn’t expect to foster a dog while attending San Diego State University. But with the perks of living off-campus with friends, the roommates agreed that fostering would bring comfort for themselves and a furry companion.
“We looked and did some research and found a super cool fostering company… we got a chance to go in and meet a bunch of (dogs) and we found that Beck was our perfect fit,” Hoch said.
Beck, a two-year-old Shepard mix from The Animal Pad, is described as having a “friendly and cuddly, exciting energy” on his adoption profile. Hoch said his playful demeanor resonated with her and her roommates as they live active lifestyles.
“I remember the first day he kept going in and out of our rooms and kind of around the house because he was super nervous and uneasy… so just seeing his transition from being kind of a shelter dog… to finally feeling super calm and safe with us has been super rewarding,” she said.
Hoch said she observed significant improvement in Beck’s well-being and her own since they began fostering in late January.
As San Diego animal shelters report an overcrowding crisis, could a college student foster program ease the problem while nurturing a healthy lifestyle for students?
According to the San Diego Humane Society (SDHS) Asilomar Accord 2022-2023 statistics, the shelter started the year with 1,799 animals in care and admitted 30,935 throughout the year. Despite an outtake of 93% of its animal population, the shelter ended the year with an additional 736 animals in care.
“A lot of the reasons that we're seeing people relinquish (their pets) are financially related,” San Diego Humane Society’s Marketing Manager Jordan Frey said. “When pet care is an added cost in your monthly budget, that can be a real struggle for people.”
In a recent report released by U.S. News and World Report, San Diego was ranked the most expensive city in the nation. This evaluation is based on San Diego’s inflation rate and its impact on the cost of housing, gas and daily expenses. These rising costs, along with increased vet care and pet food prices, make it difficult for owners to take care of their pets.
Relinquishment reclaims refer to situations where owners are compelled to surrender their cherished pets to shelters but later reclaim them. This can be due to factors like housing or financial constraints, medical challenges and more.
Learn more about the San Diego Humane Society's statistics on relinquishment reclaims, overcrowding and adoptions below.
Dr. Annie Petterson, the president and CEO of the Human Animal Bond Research Institute, said the result of overcrowded shelters can cause animals to develop stress-induced behavioral issues. Because of this, animal shelters are urging community members to foster to alleviate overcrowding. Shelters cover all animal care expenses, only asking individuals to provide temporary housing.
In a study conducted by Arizona State University, researchers discovered that dogs that slept outside of their shelter environment for a day experienced decreased levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Upon returning to the shelter, dogs maintained low cortisol levels, indicating that the short time away from the shelter brought significant relief to all dogs involved in the study.
Similarly, college students participating in pet therapy experience reduced cortisol levels. Dr. Christina Antonucci, an SDSU psychologist and owner of Luna the therapy dog, has witnessed how animal interactions can impact students’ lives.
“We know that when we're around animals, our nervous system circulates (flows),” Antonucci said. “I think there's a lot of calming effects that come from both that and just being in the present moment that really can help in the stress of everyday life.”
The evidence supporting the calming effects animals bring to the human nervous system, along with the low stress levels animals experience when removed from shelters, suggests the potential of introducing a college student foster program in San Diego. This initiative would allow both parties to offer companionship to each other while aiding in reducing overcrowding in shelters.
Woof On Campus, a nonprofit in Los Angeles County, embodies this approach. Established in 2020, Woof On Campus originated as a UCLA campus club dedicated to connecting college students with rescued dogs. According to the Woof On Campus website, the program provides educational training for prospective student fosters and has facilitated over 350 dog adoptions.
Woof On Campus Co-founder Lauren Enge emphasized the importance of aiding rescue organizations.
“For the animals, if they didn't have fosters to go to, they would still be in the shelter,” she said. “Bringing in all these new students for these rescues really gave them the capacity to take on more dogs, which was awesome. We were able to help way more dogs than [rescues] had anticipated each year.”
The organization developed into a nonprofit after experiencing rapid growth. Today, its program extends beyond the UCLA campus to serve other Los Angeles colleges, including USC, Pepperdine University and Chapman University. Enge said the program has impacted the lives of many students by inspiring undeclared majors to consider veterinary practice, encouraging individuals to foster over 15 dogs and most importantly, creating a sense of belonging among students.
Woof On Campus was made possible with the support of Enge and dedicated student volunteers. Despite facing pushback from UCLA due to liability concerns, Enge said that operating as an independent nonprofit has allowed them to serve as a liaison between local rescues and students, match students with rescue animals in need of fostering and educate others on foster care responsibilities. Enge advises that students interested in starting their own organization should assemble a team of volunteers who share a love for animals, support the organization’s mission to educate others about fostering and can handle conflict with resilience.
“We've had dogs that have come in horrible condition, which is just so sad and so unfortunate, and seeing these college students take on the responsibility and have that level of empathy to rehabilitate these animals on top of their schoolwork was just amazing to see,” she said.
Enge said that Woof On Campus aims to expand its business model nationwide by helping more students initiate their own Woof On Campus chapter near their universities.
In applying this approach to San Diego, the San Diego Humane Society welcomes help in any form.
“I think it's definitely not outside of the realm of possibility. I haven't heard of one of those programs before, but I think that's really wonderful,” Frey said.
Before college students consider foster care, Dr. Petterson said students need to have their “eyes wide open” with what to expect. Students need to consider the level of responsibility they are willing to undertake in addition to their school workload. For those with limited availability, she recommends fostering smaller animals, such as guinea pigs or rats.
Although the fostering experience varies, individuals interviewed for this story expressed satisfaction in helping out.
“I was really happy to give a cat a home to live in, even if it's temporarily,” Matthew Chong, a 2020 UC San Diego graduate said when speaking about Moe, a gray male cat in the San Diego Humane Society’s safety net foster program. “I think I had a very good first experience… I enjoy having animals in my house... it's really good emotional support, and… the idea of fostering animals (initiates) the sense of responsibility.”
On a legislative level, a new California bill (AB 2216) could further alleviate overcrowded shelters. The proposed bill would require landlords to accept pets in rental properties without excessive pet fees. Landlords would be allowed to ask about pet ownership after the approval of a tenant’s application. Only reasonable excuses could prevent pets from staying on a rental property. According to CBS 8, this bill would be the first national legislation that would ban blanket “no pet policies.”
Measures such as the proposed California bill and the implementation of a college foster program can empower younger generations to combat shelter overcrowding. These initiatives hold the potential to make a meaningful impact in supporting shelter animals and creating positive change within the San Diego community.