A week before they were deployed to Afghanistan, Kathleen and Drew Barton’s pet care plans fell through. The couple, who live in Mays Landing, NJ, spent that week frantically calling shelters, friends, and family in search of a temporary home for their two large dogs. Putting them in a kennel was too costly.
Fortunately, Kathleen looked online and found PACT: People, Animals, Companions, Together, a nonprofit that helps military personnel find foster homes for their pets while they are serving overseas. In less than a day, Buzz Miller, a retired lawyer who founded the nonprofit, located a foster home for the Bartons’ two dogs, Sasha and Vada.
“I was just blown away at the love and compassion they had for my animals,” says Kathleen, who would keep in touch with her dogs’ foster parents via letters and emails.
PACT doesn’t charge for their services. They do, however, ask pet owners to provide enough money for veterinarian care. PACT does not accept overly aggressive dogs, and expects all pets to be spayed or neutered.
For more information about PACT, and its other programs, click here.
Michele C. Hollow is an award-winning journalist. She writes about pets, wildlife, interiors, and travel for Family Circle, New York Daily News, and DIYNetwork. She is the creator of the popular pet lifestyle blog Pet News and Views. You can see her other parade.com posts here.