Have you ever wondered what it takes to place a stray animal in a permanent home? On Pawprint, you’ll meet the everyday heroes of animal rescue who use hard work, dedication, and out-of-the-box ideas to give homeless pets a second chance. thisispawprint.com What is a rescue organization? It can be one person with a passion for saving animals, or it can be a comprehensive organization with paid staff, a shelter, an animal hospital, and a network of volunteers. The mission is to save dogs, cats, and other animals from homelessness, and place them with a permanent, or “forever,” home. Rescue organizations also advocate for animals. For example, changes in laws to protect animals, reduce irresponsible breeding (like puppy mills), and spread the word on the importance of spaying and neutering animals. Two rescue organizations we mention in this episode: East Bay SPCA with locations in Oakland and Dublin, California. Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation, also known as ARF, in Walnut Creek, California. What is a foster? A person, a group, or family, who temporarily take in one or more animals in preparation of finding a permanent, or forever, home. The animals often need to get spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and treated for a wide range of health issues, and socialized to get along with people and other animals. Some animals only need fostering for a few days, while others may take months to find that special forever home. Nancy and Harold have fostered over 50 dogs, which is one of the reasons we started Pawprint, to get you inspired and moving! We share inspirational stories from leaders, volunteers, and experts in animal rescue, health, and behavior. If you want to learn more about us, here’s some random stuff about your adorable Pawprint co-hosts: Harold grew up in Buffalo, New York. He is a long-suffering Buffalo Bills football fan. Even though he lives in San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders country, he refuses to change his allegiance! Our son Dylan, by the way, is a 49ers fan. Nancy grew up in Seoul, South Korea, and speaks three languages – English, Korean, and Japanese. She grew up with dogs in Korea and while living in New York City had a cat named Smitty. Thanks for listening, and send us feedback and ideas! thisispawprint@gmail.com   All of Pawprint's music is composed by Luke Gartner-Brereton. Luke is a musician based in Australia, and he composes a wide variety of songs and musical loops http://vanillagroovestudios.com http://soundcloud.com/luke-gartnerbrereton If you want to learn more about Nancy and Harold, go to our About Us page at thisispawprint.com/about or listen to our introductory podcast episode, "Fifty Puppies and a Podcast." http://thisispawprint.com/000 Pawprint (or Paw Print) is a weekly podcast dedicated to animal rescue, adoption, and the heroes who make it happen. Volunteer, walk, adopt, or foster a dog, cat, rabbit, or other wonderful pet through your local shelter, humane society, SPCA, pound, and animal control. Help increase animal protection, welfare, and rights. http://thisispawprint.com http://animalrescuepodcast.com