Our #1 Foster Hero!

Foster since: 2019

Number of shelter pets fostered: 1,500!

Barbara Pitts has been an amazingly dedicated foster volunteer for Holdenville Animal Shelter. She constantly goes above and beyond to help homeless pets in need and to support our shelter. She's always willing to step in and help pets in need regardless of the animal's age, health condition, or medical needs. She is always ready to help us in the shelter in any way we need and she's even helped transport dogs from our shelter to different states multiple times! We sat down with Barbara and asked her a series of questions since both her dedication and story are inspiring!

How did you get started fostering for Holdenville Animal Shelter?

I started transporting for HALO at first and since the parvo at the shelter was real bad I started taking in the puppies from there and just put together some makeshift kennels. That’s how we got started.

What has being a foster volunteer been like for you?

It’s been very rewarding. Gratifying. Heartbreaking. Destructive puppies. Tearing up, chewing up my Hey Dude shoes! And it's just very rewarding. There’s a lot of love in puppies, a lot of love.

What is your favorite part of being a foster?

Watching them blossom. Watching their personalities just bloom. When they first come in, they’re usually so shy and scared but after a while they’ll warm up. Like those little puppies that I have now they pull my socks, they pull my shoes, they’ll have a hole in my pants and I’m walking and dragging like four puppies and one of them even grabs my shorts and pulls them down! Every day.

Is it hard to say goodbye to the dogs after you foster them?

It's very hard. I cried when I left Peppermint Patty, Ebony, and my other fosters during our last transport. I bawled my eyes out. I just sent Christina a message the other day. “Have you heard from Peppermint Patty? How's she doing?” And I've done that with a whole lot. I've contacted the rescue in Colorado about some puppies these trashmen here had found. They found some Aussies that somebody dumped and one of them was partially blind and the other one was deaf and could only see out of one eye. They went to Big Bones Rescue and they kept me updated on them and stuff, you know, and they made sure that Dolly and Willie went together because they were a bonded pair. She was his eyes.

Do you have a recent story about fostering?

Peppermint Patty. A friend rescued her off the train tracks. She was skin and bones. You could count every bone she had. The look in her eyes was like she had given up on life completely. I went to the feed store and they gave me some stuff to start putting in her food. And within a week and a half - you couldn't even tell she was the same dog! She just turned into my child and she was just so onry and rambunctious. She was probably the worst one I've ever rescued that was that skinny and that starved. There's a thousand stories I can tell about dogs. I've got pictures of every single dog I've ever fostered. I have three phones and all of them are full of pictures.

What is your favorite foster story of all time?

I think it's the three little beagle puppies that I rescued. Clyde, Clarice and Chloe. War Dogs Rescue pulled them and they went to Colorado. Clyde was the littlest one and he had a little smile. 

As much as it pains us to say it, Barbara's time as a foster for our shelter is coming to a close. Due to health reasons, she is retiring as a foster. This bittersweet moment serves as a reminder of just how crucial Barbara has been to our shelter. Her unwavering presence and commitment to our cause have made an immense impact on the lives of countless animals.

As we bid farewell to Barbara's role as a foster, let this be an opportunity to reflect on the importance of fostering and to encourage others to follow in her footsteps. Barbara's shining example has shown us just how transformative and rewarding this experience can be. By becoming a foster for our shelter, you too can make a difference in the lives of animals, just as Barbara has done so selflessly and passionately.

Join us in expressing our deepest gratitude to Barbara Pitts for all that she has done for our shelter and the animals in our care. Let us also use this moment to inspire a community of passionate and dedicated individuals who will take up the mantle and continue to foster for our shelter, ensuring that animals in need always have a safe and loving place to call home!

Barbara, we want to express our deepest gratitude for everything you do. Your impact is immeasurable, and we cherish you as an invaluable pillar of our shelter. You've touched not only the lives of the animals you've helped, but also the hearts of everyone at Holdenville Animal Shelter. Thank you for being our #1 Foster Hero!