Humane Society asking for foster parents to help make room for Harvey animals

MILWAUKEE -- The Wisconsin Humane Society is gearing up to take in roughly two dozen animals from overcrowded shelters in Texas. Humane society staff need families to open up their homes for the current animals at the shelter to make room for the new arrivals.

Elise Guckenberger and her sons and husband, are bringing four six-week old puppies home for a month as part of the humane society's foster care program.

"It's nice that we have a family of five, so they're going to get a lot of love. A lot of attention," Elise said.

The family's generosity couldn't come at a better time. WHS is taking in at least 20 animals over the holiday weekend from shelters in Texas, that have become inundated with lost pets due to the extensive flooding from Hurricane Harvey.

"But in the meantime, just about every kennel is full at the Wisconsin Humane Society for both dogs and cats, so we're asking for new foster parents to sign up right away online," said Angela Speed with the Wisconsin Humane Society.

WHS' Angela Speed, says the animals arriving from down south aren't the ones directly displaced by the flood, rather they're ones that have either been surrendered or have been in a shelter since long before the storm hit.

"We work really hard to make sure that the animals coming in don't have owners looking for them in Texas," said Speed.

If the floppy ears and button noses don't convince you, the Guckenbergers who are now foster parents, say they get just as much out of the experience as their four-legged friends.

"Fostering animals helps the children with life lessons. It helps them with responsibility. It helps them with kindness and giving," said Elise.

If you are able to foster, WHS asks for you to contact them by email at foster@wihumane.org and to also get started with the process by taking a few short steps online to become a WHS foster parent, here: http://www.wihumane.org/foster.

WHS also is asking for dog food donations.