Every day in America, veterans, active-duty service members, and families facing medical crises are forced to make an impossible choice: seek the care, treatment, housing, or deployment support they need — or keep their beloved pet.
For many, there is no safety net.
At Operation Foster, we have seen firsthand how quickly a temporary crisis can become a permanent heartbreak. A veteran entering PTSD treatment, a service member deploying overseas, or a patient hospitalized for months should never have to surrender a cherished companion simply because no one can provide temporary care.
Yet it happens every day.
Pets are not luxuries. For many veterans especially, they are sources of emotional stability, routine, companionship, and unconditional support during life’s most difficult moments. Losing that bond can deepen isolation, anxiety, and trauma.
Since 2011, Operation Foster (PACT for Animals) has helped place more than 3,500 pets into safe foster homes so families can stay together through crisis and reunification remains possible. We believe compassionate communities can protect both people and pets.
At a time when shelters nationwide are overcrowded and veterans continue to face housing, medical, and mental health challenges, we must recognize that supporting families sometimes means supporting the animals they love too.
No one serving our country — or fighting to recover afterward — should have to choose between personal stability and their pet.
Sincerely,
Gisele Barreto Fetterman, Operation Foster
Submitted by Gisele Fetterman.
