Behind the Scenes – Fostering Animals at Calgary Humane
July 20, 2026
From fridge-opening dogs to letters written between foster parents and pet owners, many wonderful and unexpected experiences come with fostering an animal.
When you join Calgary Humane Society’s foster program, you never know which animal will come into your life—or how significant your impact will be.
Our foster program allows us to continue welcoming animals who need help. Foster families care for approximately one-third of the animals in our care while also helping prevent the stress that some animals experience in a shelter environment.
For dogs like Sadie-Lady, foster care can be an essential step on the journey toward finding a home.
Fostering gives animals the space to decompress, allows us to understand who they are outside the shelter and helps potential adopters see the qualities that make each animal special.
Sadie-Lady spent more than four months in our care after being transferred to Calgary Humane Society from Manitoba, where she had already spent over a year in a shelter.
Sadie-Lady was able to decompress and show her personality while living in foster care.
Understanding her needs and personality was essential to guiding her toward a permanent home. While staying in the shelter, Sadie-Lady showed reactivity toward other dogs and sensitivity to certain environmental triggers. As her stress continued to increase, it became clear that moving into foster care and becoming part of our Adopt From Foster program was the best path forward.
In her foster homes, Sadie-Lady was able to decompress and feel safe. Her foster families discovered a dog who was full of joy, incredibly playful and deeply affectionate.
Because they spent time with her in a home environment, her foster families could share much more about her personality with potential adopters. They supported her as she adjusted, helped her work through situations that triggered her reactivity and showed the world the incredible dog Sadie-Lady truly was.
Most importantly, Sadie-Lady was able to feel safe and happy while she waited for her person to find her.
Fostering benefits people, too.
The bonds that are formed, the companionship foster families receive and the unexpected fun that comes with welcoming a new animal can make each foster experience uniquely rewarding.
Calgary Humane Society staff members have had their own memorable foster experiences.
Chloe Collins, a Foster Facilitator, is currently caring for a senior foster dog with a particularly unusual skill: opening the refrigerator.
When Collins and her partner stepped out for a quick errand, they opened their camera app to check on the dogs at home. They watched as their foster dog used her nose to pop open the refrigerator door—and then simply sat there, looking inside without touching anything.
Their resident dog, however, was less restrained and used the opportunity to help themselves to some Swiss cheese and back bacon.
Some foster animals cannot resist sharing their unusual talents with us. Others find meaningful ways to bring people together.
More than animal care
Foster families can provide reassurance and connection not only to the animals in their homes, but also to the people who love them.
Alex Olley, Calgary Humane Society’s Animal Flow Specialist, remembers a foster parent who cared for dogs through our emergency boarding program.
The foster parent and the dogs’ owner began communicating through letters, sharing stories and updates about how the animals were doing. One of the letters the foster parent received had been written directly to the dogs. In response, the foster parent wrote back from the dogs’ perspective.
During an incredibly difficult time, that foster parent provided support not only to the animals, but to their owner as well.
It is remarkable to see the bonds that form between foster parents and foster animals. Foster families help us learn more about animals so we can guide potential adopters, provide updates to owners who cannot be with their pets and occasionally discover that their temporary guest has become their permanent companion—a foster find.
If you have been thinking about becoming a foster parent, we would be honoured to guide you through the journey—and we cannot wait to hear the stories that come from it.