Like many people these days, you’re probably spending a lot of time at home. This is a great time to foster a pet.

Opening your home to a foster pet saves lives, plus it frees up space for another pet to be rescued. Fostering a pet, whether for days, weeks or months may be short-term, but the results are long lasting — not only to the pet, but to you, too. Studies have shown that having a furry friend around can reduce anxiety and help relieve stress — not to mention brighten even the dreariest days.

Here are just a few ways fostering helps.

• A shelter can be a noisy, stressful place, especially for shy and frightened animals. Providing a loving, quiet, safe space goes a long way toward preparing an animal for adoption.

• Orphaned or newborn animals, as well as those with special medical needs or behavioral challenges, benefit greatly from the one-on-one attention they receive in foster care. 

• Fostering helps pets get accustomed to life in a home, smooths their way toward adoption and helps set them up for success in their forever homes.

• If you’re thinking about adopting a cat or dog, fostering is a great way to find out if an animal is a good fit for you and your family. In many organizations, foster parents get first dibs on the animal they’re fostering.