San Mateo County Health and partnering organizations are providing round-the-clock care for pets whose owners require treatment for mental health, substance use or other medical conditions.
The Foster Wellness Program was launched in January and has since been offering a combination of fostering and local animal care services to clients, to eliminate the burden of finding trusted pet care while owners seek out potentially life-changing treatment.
Two dogs were reunited with their owner after completing a 90-day foster placement. Courtesy San Mateo County
Chief of Animal Control & Licensing Lori Morton-Feazell is the animal care liaison for the program and oversees recruiting foster caregivers, coordinating pet care, and ensuring animal welfare. Morton-Feazell said the program was made possible by a grant from San Mateo County’s Mental Health Services Act (MHSA), awarded to the Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) department.
When clients from agencies within the BHRS system need pet care, Morton-Feazell’s team ensures all aspects are arranged, from finding foster homes for the pets to providing vaccinations and vet checks for animals prior to placement.
Part of this process involves inspecting the homes of potential foster parents and ensuring the accommodations are suitable for pets. “We have to make sure it’s safe…people will be caring for somebody’s pet, and that’s a big responsibility. It’s kind of like having a baby.” Morton-Feazell said.
Along with performing a safety check of the foster home, the Animal Control & Licensing team provides caregivers with all essential pet items, a foster handbook, and contact details for their contracted emergency veterinary hospital.
“We provide the foster home with food, bowls, beds, toys, a litter box for a cat, toys…anything like that,” Morton-Feazell said.
According to Morton-Feazell, placements range from one to 90 days, depending on the type of treatment their owners are undergoing, with 90 days being the typical maximum stay at a rehabilitation facility. And while the Foster Wellness Program is in its early stages, she said it has already seen positive results.
One client completed a 90-day rehabilitation stay and found employment at a doggy day care afterwards, while her own two dogs were in care.
“She got her dogs out and the program was a success,” Morton-Feazell said. “It was very rewarding.”
Along with managing foster caregivers, Morton-Feazell’s department partners with local pet care services, including dog walkers, the Peninsula Humane Society, The Pawington in South San Francisco, and Tyson’s World of Dogs in Menlo Park for supplementary care during outpatient procedures when an overnight stay is not needed, or in emergency situations, when a foster home is not immediately available.
Miss Green Eyes was one of the first pet participants in the Foster Wellness Program. Courtesy San Mateo County
In the case of one participating cat, affectionately known as “Miss Green Eyes,” a foster caregiver wasn’t available, so she was offered a 30-day protection hold at the Peninsula Humane Society through the program, which allowed her to board without being adopted. After that stay was completed, Miss Green Eyes was placed in a foster home while her owner continued to receive mental health treatment.
Pet owners who participate in the Foster Wellness Program must be residents of San Mateo County and clients of BHRS, a division of San Mateo County Health that provides services for uninsured residents or those on Medi-Cal.
Management Analyst for the MHSA, Chandrika Zager, manages cases for the BHRS and connects clients, who typically need high levels of care, to the foster program when pet services are needed.
“The goal is to help people get the care they need without that barrier of pet care getting in the way. And over time, the hope is really to support recovery and housing stability,
while keeping people connected to their pets,” Zager said.
Zager also spoke to the positive feedback the program has received so far. “From the client side we’re hearing a lot of relief knowing that their pet is safe while they’re in treatment. From the foster caregivers, we’ve heard how meaningful it was to be part of something that supports both the person and their animal,” she said.
“At the end of the day it’s helping people move forward with treatment…because we do hear from clients and community members that this is a real barrier for folks and sometimes they just don’t seek treatment or they decline it because they need somebody to care for their animals,” Zager said.
The Foster Wellness Program is currently recruiting volunteers to foster pets in San Mateo, San Francisco, Alameda and Santa Clara counties. To inquire about becoming a foster caregiver, email fosteringwellness@smcgov.org.
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