PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Looking for a plus one for your holiday event? Well, a local shelter is hoping to help you find a special pet for the occasion.
Portsmouth Humane is hosting their annual shelter event, called "Festive Fosters." It's a program that allows for cats, dogs, or what they call "pocket pets" which are your smaller chinchillas or rabbits to stay with a foster family over the holidays.
"There's an actual study that tested their blood and their cortisol levels. It showed that getting a break from the shelter, even if they come back in a week or a couple days, really helps them reduce their stress and it helps us learn about them, and decreases the length of time before they get adopted," said Dyanna Uchiek, Community Engagement and Development Director.
It's an opportunity for the pets to have a silent night away from the shelter, free of charge to the caretakers.
"There are pets that are going to be out there that aren't going to be able to be home for Christmas instead of here in these kennels and families that may not be able to necessarily give them the home, they can still have that joy of having a pet in the home during the holidays," said Michelle, foster and pet adopter.
The shelter provides the host family with pet supplies such as food, litter, toys and information about the care taking of your pet.
Pet pickups last from Dec. 21-24th and fosters are expected to keep their pet until at least the 26th.
