Foster Highlight: Katrina Sloan

We appreciate our fosters and have asked them to share their stories.

Foster: Katrina Sloan

How long have you been fostering?

May 2022

Was there something specific that made you want to foster?

So many things went into our family deciding to foster. A dream of ours is to someday have an animal sanctuary where we can help give animals who are especially vulnerable and not as adoptable, a place to live the rest of their lives happily. We adopted our second dog, Solas, from Baypath in April 2021 and we haven’t looked back. Seeing first hand how much time and effort the staff and volunteers at Baypath give made me want to help in any way possible. You see the animals and hear their stories and just want them to live happy lives after a traumatic start. Rescues like Baypath cannot do this alone. They need help in order to help the animals. That’s what we are trying to do 💕

What impact has fostering had on your life? 

Fostering has made such a huge impact on my life and on the lives of my husband and children too. We love all of the animals that come into our home no matter how long they are there. They are a member of our family until they find their forever home. Fostering has solidified the fact that we want to help animals forever. When we get fosters they are usually a pair of puppies or a litter of kittens. We have had bottle babies and older kittens – they all require different things but in the end all they need is love in order to feel comfortable and confident. Watching a shy kitten turn a corner is such an amazing feeling of accomplishment for us.

Do you have a funny or special story or a special foster to share?

I can’t pick just one! We have loved all of our fosters and I cry every time I bring them back to Baypath for adoption. We have had one foster fail and his name is Bulger (formerly known as Sweet Baby Ray). Bulger and his brother came to us when they were really sick with URIs. We found out later that both of them were so sick before they arrived at Baypath that they almost didn’t make it. The kittens were scared and so sick. We gave them meds, made sure they were gaining weight and socialized them. They made slow but steady progress. We felt like we literally saved their lives and this made it very hard to give them up even though we knew they would go to amazing homes. We last minute decided to adopt Bulger and he’s been with us since! Bringing his brother KC back to Baypath alone was the hardest thing ever. I cried all the way home! Luckily, KC bonded with a friend at the shelter waiting to be adopted and a nice family adopted them both which just makes our hearts happy. We have a tradition now to take selfies in the car on the way to Baypath on adoption day. This way we always have a way to remember the lives of the animals we have impacted. Here are some photos before and after of Bulger. 💕