Learn How to Foster a Cat, Dog, Puppy or Kitten

for Heartland Animal Shelter

One of the most important programs at Heartland Animal Shelter is the Fostering Program. Animals go to foster homes for various reasons - they may be too young to live in the shelter, they may need medical attention, they may need a TLC because of the conditions they were rescued from. Learn how you can take part in this critical program.

Topic: Learn how to Foster for Heartland Animal Shelter

When: First Saturday of every month at 5:15pm - 6:45pm

Where: At Heartland Animal Shelter

How: Sign up by writing to Jenny at jlnogle@yahoo.com

Host: Barb Balla

You will be required to sign up for the Volunteer Orientation (required to be an official volunteer for Heartland) Offered the last Saturday of every month at 4:15pm. Host is Jenny Nogle.

Fostering can become addictive! Read the following first-hand account of one of Heartland's "Fostering Junkies":

"FOSTERING.... to do or not to do?! In the 4 years that I have spent fostering I've been asked a lot of questions.... "How do you handle that many fosters at once?" ( I do litters of puppies...) " How much time does it take?" and most of all... " How do you let them go?" Those questions are important to explore when you consider fostering, but they are definitely NOT reasons to decide fostering isn't for you..... and there isn't one answer for all the questions.

I handle litters of puppies because I decided a long time ago that I have a crazy need to nurture and I thrive on chaos! If you need a quieter lifestyle, then just try one pup/dog, or a couple of kittens, or a cat. If you need to schedule in a foster break or family vacation, you can easily let the shelter know and that can be accommodated. The time it takes depends on the pet(s) you choose to foster. An older dog or cat will take much less time and energy than a brood of young ones, and the time that ANY of those animals spends in your home, instead of the shelter, helps to better ready them for life as the beloved family pet. The stress of a shelter setting can bring on a host of reasons that might delay adoption. When the pet is in your home, they learn to look for the door to go out, to know the litter box is the laundry room, and how to curl up with you at night and know they are loved, even when the life they knew before has changed in ways they never fathomed, or maybe it's the answer to a prayer that they have found you.

Finally, "how do you let them go?". Tough question. Again it's up to you, up to your perspective. If you adopt an animal once every 5 years, in ten years you've saved 2 animals. If you foster 6 animals in a year, in those same 5 years, you've saved 30 animals. I do litters of puppies... in 4 years, I've had over 200 pups come through my house, out of the kill shelters and into the arms of loving families who can't imagine life without them. I sort of look at it like sending my kids to college. It hurts to leave them there, but you want more than anything for them to go it on their own, to be successful and live a good life. It's just what you have to do to accomplish that goal. Tough, but not insurmountable.

And so, in conclusion, I know that fostering is one of the most rewarding things I do. There's nothing like the feeling of reaching 50,100, 200 and counting, lovable pets that have found families because you were willing to open your home. As with most good deeds, what you get back is so much more than what you put in. I really hope you'll consider it for your home, as well."

Check Out Our Current & Upcoming Events

On-going Events

Bring Us Home 2008!

Meet Heartland pets at Golf Mill Shopping Center the 1st and 3rd Saturday & Sunday of every month from Noon to 4:00 pm. Look below for more information.

Volunteer Orientation: Learn about the opportunities and responsibilities involved in being a Heartland Animal Shelter volunteer. Offered on the 2nd and last Saturday of every month, from 5:15 to 6:45 pm. Contact Jenny Nogle for information: jlnogle@yahoo.com

Learn How to Foster: for Heartland Animal Shelter - Learn what it takes to be able to foster a cat, dog, kitten or puppy for Heartland Animal Shelter . Offered on the first Saturday of every month at 5:15pm 6:45.

Upcoming Events

Hogs for Dogs

Sunday, September 21st

All motorcycles and vehicles welcome!

Join us for the 2nd annual Hogs for Dogs Sunday, Spetember 21, 2008. Get the Harley (or Honda) polished up and ready to ride for the animals!

The ride will start near Heartland Animal Shelter in Northbrook, IL and end in Island Lake, IL at Side Outs Bar and Eatery where we’ll have food and fun following the ride! The band "The Loose Connections" will provide music at Side Outs. Check out the web site for Loose Connections: www.looseconnection.info

Pre-registration for Hogs for Dogs is $25.00. You can purchase at Heartland on the day of the ride for $30.00. Pre-register for the Hogs for Dogs ride by usig PayPal below or, if you prefer, by sending a check to (please make the check out to Heartland Animal Shelter and put "Hogs for Dogs" in the memo section of the check):

Hogs for Dogs

C/O Heartland Animal Shelter

2975 Milwaukee Ave

Northbrook, IL 60062

Heartland Animal Shelter’s Second Annual Walk of Love!

Saturday July 12, 2008

Make your walk extra special and raise pledges for the animals! You can create your own personal Walk of Love web page to collect pledges for the animals! Follow the details at www.firstgiving.com/has It is easy and the animals will love you for it!

Click here to download your own copy of this poster to print & post: Download Poster

Register Now! Here via paypal below or print and complete the attached paper registration and mail to Heartland Animal Shelter, 2975 Milwaukee Ave., Northbrook, IL 60062

Come on out to Blue Star Memorial Forest Preserve in Glenview for a wonderful walk through the woods to help the animals at Heartland Animal Shelter!

WHAT: 2nd Annual Heartland Walk of Love – Walk for the animals!

WHEN: Saturday, July 12th 2008 at 9:30 am (registration begins at 8:30 am)

WHERE: Blue Star Memorial Woods Forest Preserve (entrance on East Lake

Avenue, just west of Harms Road)

- Join us for breakfast after the walk by Einstein Bagels! www.einsteinbros.com

- Receive a Walk of Love t-shirt!

- Receive Prizes for raising pledges for the animals! Prizes will be given for Top

Individual, Top Individual and Pet, Top Family, Top Team, Top Kid’s Team and

Top Web Page! Prizes by Camp Dogwood www.campdogwood.com, eSkape

Entertainment Center www.eskape.us, Ethical Planet, Purrfect Pets, Soulshine

Photography, Stay – A Modern Dog Hotel & more!

- Ethical Planet will be there with plenty of animal friendly items for sale, part of the

proceeds benefiting the animals of Heartland! Get a sneak peek at

www.ethicalplanet.com.

- Family Friendly, “A Child’s Voice” will be performing following the walk. Be sure

to see Bill’s inspiring poetry performance! Visit his web site at

www.childs-voice-poetry.com.

- Dress up with your dog for “Doggie Glamour Shots” with Sara and Soulshine

Photography!! www.soulshinephoto.com

- Mercy for Animals will be providing sweet treats for all at their booth!

www.mercyforanimals.org

- Feeling fast? Grab you dog and join the “six legged race”!! Win a “stay” at Stay,

A Modern Dog Hotel!! www.staydoghotel.com

- Do a reading with Angelica’s Cards. Bring home a deck of your own and $10

goes to the animals at Heartland! www.angelicascards.com

Adults $20 in advance, $25 day of event. Children 3 - 12 yrs. $10 in advance, $12 day of event. Children under 3 free. Families (up to 6 members) $50 in advance, $55 day of event

Pre-registration has closed; Onsite Registration will open at 8:30am.