By Casey Adams
Cove Leader-Press
For some of the most vulnerable animals entering the Copperas Cove Animal Care Facility, a temporary home can mean far more than a break from the shelter, it can mean survival.
Friends of Copperas Cove Animal Shelter, a local nonprofit working alongside the Copperas Cove Animal Care Center, has expanded its foster efforts this year. The organization places medically fragile animals into homes where they can receive the additional attention they need while recovering or growing strong enough for adoption.
As of Sept. 4, 22 animals from the shelter were in foster care, supported by approximately a dozen active fosters.
“Fostering is a game changer,” said Erica Abcunas, treasurer of Friends of Copperas Cove Animal Shelter and the foster coordinator. “Animals are under unbelievable stress in a shelter environment and stress taxes their bodies immensely.”
The nonprofit was founded by local resident Ann Slanis and was turned over to volunteers late last year.
Jennifer Dernehl serves as president, Julie Mears as secretary and Abcunas as treasurer. Mears and Abcunas handle the organization’s day-to-day operations.
Abcunas said the nonprofit works to fill gaps and expand upon the care already provided by the shelter. Through donations and fundraising, Friends of Copperas Cove Animal Shelter has helped provide vaccines, parvo tests, dewormers, specialized food, medical expenses and supplies for foster families.
One of the nonprofit’s largest areas of growth has been fostering, particularly during kitten season.
Young kittens can require care that is difficult to provide in a municipal shelter environment. Some need bottle feeding, while others arrive dehydrated, underweight, sick or frightened of people.
“There is not shelter staff round the clock, so animals needing feeding or tending to hourly or every two hours cannot survive humanely in the shelter,” Abcunas said. “Fosters really do save lives.”
The need increases during the warmer months, when the shelter sees an influx of kittens.
The nonprofit’s current most urgent needs include additional kitten fosters and funding for vaccines, wet kitten food and dewormers.
Foster families do not have to live in Copperas Cove.
Abcunas said people from Temple and Lampasas have stepped forward to foster Copperas Cove animals during this year’s kitten season.
New kitten fosters receive training from Abcunas as needed.
Potential fosters sometimes worry they don’t have enough experience, cannot provide around-the-clock care or cannot commit for a long period of time. Abcunas said those concerns do not necessarily prevent someone from fostering.
“We are grateful for any foster willing to give any amount of time,” she said. “Every animal has unique needs.”
Abcunas has fostered for the Copperas Cove animal shelter for approximately three years. Her first foster placement was a litter of three cold, wet and sick kittens that shelter staff warned might not survive.
While foster care helps animals recover physically, Abcunas said it can also reveal who they really are.
An animal living in a kennel may behave differently because of stress, while a foster family can learn how the animal interacts with people and identify personality traits and needs that can help create a better adoption match.
The nonprofit has also expanded adoption events and promotion of adoptable animals through social media.
More than 50 animals were adopted through its adoption events during May and June, according to Abcunas.
She credits the growth to cooperation among shelter staff, volunteers, foster families, residents and local businesses.
Businesses have hosted adoption events and fundraisers, while residents have donated money and supplies, volunteered, fostered and shared the nonprofit’s social media posts.
For those who want to do more, the nonprofit maintains a wish list pinned to its Facebook page and uses Zeffy campaigns to raise money for ongoing needs. The Zeffy donation link is: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/support-friends-of-copperas-c…helter.
Residents can also contact Friends of Copperas Cove Animal Shelter through its Facebook page or at friendsofcoveshelter@gmail.com to ask about current needs, volunteering or fostering. They are always accepting donations of wet kitten food, vinegar for laundry, laundry detergent, pee pads, fortiflora for dogs and cats.
“We are really thankful to be filling this role as a support of the Copperas Cove Animal Care Facility,” she added, “and we hope to continue for a long time.”
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