Clara Breneman - SPCA
Subhead: Senior Clara Breneman has fostered over 60 cats and multiple puppies through Great Plains SPCA
When the COVID-19 virus broke out, senior Clara Breneman was stuck inside her home with countless hours of boredom. The most entertainment they got was from doomscrolling on social media all day and long FaceTime calls. But Breneman was tired of the countless hours on her phone. She had an idea – fostering animals.
Out of boredom, Breneman started watching YouTube videos about fostering animals. And after many long hours, Breneman convinced her mom to help her start fostering. Since then, she's fostered over 60 cats and several puppies through the SPCA.
Most of her fosters were either found in dumpsters or abandoned on the roadside. A few animals became part of her family. Namely, an orange, spunky cat named Cod, and Tater, a shy, grey and loving cat.
And just four weeks ago, the family added a new addition, a puppy named Beans.
“We call them ‘foster fails,’ Breneman said. “It was our third round of kittens, and my dad fell in love with one of them.”
Breneman’s family shares the workload: her dad handles the morning work, including feeding and letting them outside. He also posts them on his Facebook to bring in potential adopters, while Breneman takes over with the care after school.
SPCA will text or call the Breneman family when they have a large number of animals needing to be fostered.
Saying their final goodbyes to the foster animals has become easier over the past six years, which has built a family tradition between Clara and her dad.
“When we first started, it was really hard giving the pets away,” Breneman said. “[After we gave the pet back] my dad and I got a pie from the store and watched Dirty Dancing, but it gets easier as you have more kittens.”
Andrew Rhodes - Melissa’s Second Chances and Unleashing
Subhead: Senior Andrew Rhodes grows strong connections through fostering dogs
When senior Andrew Rhodes was in second grade, his family took in their first foster dog, a nervous puppy. Inspired by his mother's coworker, the Rhodes family discovered a new hobby: fostering. Since then, Andrew has helped care for dozens of dogs through two organizations: Melissa's Second Chances and Unleashing.
Even though Rhodes only spends a short period of time with the fosters, each dog brings something different to the family.
“It’s nice to see them go to a really good family and treat the dog well,” Rhodes said. “Because the family comes and visits you with the dog to see them.”
Through fostering with Rhodes over the summer, Rhodes built meaningful connections with the dogs, forming strong bonds by dedicating his free time and their care.
One of Rhodes’s favorite foster dogs, Nori, was adopted by his family friend and senior Jackson Wening. While Nori isn’t in Rhodes' home anymore, Rhodes still visits her often and is greeted with jumps of joy and excitement from Nori.
“[I was in] sixth or seventh grade when they adopted her,” Rhodes said. “I still get to see the dog often, and it’s cute to see her reaction when she sees me because she remembers me.”
When Nori joined Wening’s home, she lived up to the positive description the Rhodes family had given, showing how wonderful she is, according to Wening.
And just like Rhodes said, the connection between him and Nori is still there, even at a crowded middle school baseball game.
“When we brought her [Nori] to a baseball game...Andrew was pitching, and Nori couldn't stop watching him.” Wening said. “It was almost like she was cheering him on, which was super cute.”
Stella Fredrickson - KC Pet Project
Subhead: Sophomore Stella Fredrickson fosters with KC Pet Project because of her love for dogs
Sophomore Stella Fredrickson’s love for dogs inspired her to foster them. Also encouraged by friends, she joined Kansas City Pet Projects’ “Doggy Day Out” program. That’s how she met Hoagan, a shy, sleepy pitbull mix.
“[KC Pet Project] was the closest one to my house,” Fredrickson said. “And they have good opportunities [to] go on walks and play with dogs or get things they need.”
“Doggy Day Out” is a program that lets volunteers take shelter dogs on a field trip outside of the shelter for a few hours. This can relieve stress, provide socialization and enhance the dogs’ personalities to potential adopters, according to Fredrickson.
In early September, Fredrickson fostered Hogan and was instantly attached to his loving energy. She then decided that she wanted to keep him for two weeks.
“I took him for a ‘Doggy Day Out’ and got really attached to him, so I went back the next day,” Fredrickson said.
While some may think fostering is demanding, it’s no different from a regular day with a pet, according to Fredrickson.
“Hoagan sleeps in my bed, and he wakes up after me, so my dad takes him for a walk and feeds him,” Fredrickson said. “And when I get home, I’ll take him on another walk because he loves walks.”
Fredrickson knows that returning Hogan won't be the easiest job, but she's thankful she was able to be a volunteer. She learned the rewards of what fostering an animal brings, according to Fredrickson.
“Being able to see the dog coming out of its shell and seeing it happy out of a shelter is really rewarding,” Fredrickson said. “I’m happy I can be involved in such a rewarding experience.”
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