Volunteer Spotlight: Cheryl and John Dean

Posted on August 22, 2012

John and Cheryl Dean have been volunteer foster parents for DHA since 2009. In that time span they have fostered over 200 animals. The Deans mainly foster mother cats with newborn kittens, pregnant cats, and kittens, and “bottle babies” but have also fostered older cats and puppies.

If needed they will take in multiple fosters at the same time. When DHA had to be evacuated for Hurricane Irene in 2011, they brought 19 cats home for the weekend!

The Deans said, “Delaware Humane Association has become our extended family. We have made many friends through DHA and feel loved and appreciated there. We enjoy hanging out visiting the animals in the shelter and hope to do more volunteering there in the future. We frequently get asked, ‘How can you give the kittens back?’ The answer is: While we have the animals in our home, we care, love and play with them as if they were our own. When the kittens are old enough to find a forever home, we are proud of them and know they are well-adjusted, happy and healthy, and will be a wonderful addition to their new, forever home.”

Many of the adopters will contact Cheryl and she will send them the kittens’ “baby pictures”. In return, they keep in touch with her by emailing updates and pictures of the kittens as they grow. DHA depends on volunteers like Cheryl and John to help us fulfill our mission, and the need for foster homes is great during the summer months.

New volunteers are always welcome! For more information about volunteering at DHA and how to get started, visit dehumane.org/volunteer, and if you are interested in our foster program, visit dehumane.org/foster.