Helping Pets & People

Open Your Heart & Home To Animals in Need

The Rockingham Harrisonburg SPCA is a safe haven for over 3,000 stray and abandoned animals each year. With enough space in the building to safely house only 70 dogs and 110 cats and kittens, the RHSPCA heavily relies on our foster program to provide temporary housing for animals in need. The foster program has over 200 local foster families that welcome shelter animals into their homes. One of these homes belongs to our long term foster, Linda Recco.

To learn more about fostering or to start fostering, visit our Foster page, and simply fill out an application, and RHSPCA will get back to you.

Fostering with RHSPCA

Linda started fostering for us after moving to the Shenandoah Valley a decade ago. As a lifelong cat lover, Linda responded to our plea for local residents to consider temporarily housing animals in need. Over the years Linda has taken care of over 250 cats and kittens. She houses the felines and provides them with love, care and socialization until they are ready for adoption. When asked why she fosters, she shared “You just feel so good knowing that you helped an animal that was picked up off the street find a new home.”

The RHSPCA provides foster families with the supplies they need while the foster pet is in their care. This includes litter, litter boxes, toys, food, food dishes and treats for the cats and kittens. Dog fosters are provided with leashes, collars and harnesses, along with food, treats and toys as well crates to keep the dogs contained. Generous donors provide these items for use in foster homes by purchasing them through our Amazon or Chewy Wishlists.

While the greatest need for kitten fosters is during spring and summer, the RHSPCA is in need of foster pet homes for adult cats and dogs year round. Families can sign up to foster for as little as two or three days for animals needing a break from the shelter or for several weeks for animals undergoing medical treatment or awaiting surgery. Foster families never have to worry about medical costs as these services are coordinated by and paid for by the RHSPCA.

Linda phrased it perfectly when she said, “I don’t think any shelter could manage without fosters. And more is never enough”. We couldn’t agree more. Visit our RHSPCA fostering page to learn more about our program or to sign up to help.