Meanwhile, forty-five miles away, another chapter of Lou’s story was beginning to unfold—a love story that would change his life forever.

When Scout first saw Lou on Petfinder, his mile-wide pittie smile immediately stole her heart. The more she read about Lou, the more determined she became that he should join her family. Plus, he was good with children and cats, two must-haves for Scout and her mom, Zak. Without hesitation, they piled in the car from their Santa Cruz home and headed to our Redwood City shelter, where a meet up had been arranged with Lou’s foster parents. Upon learning of Lou’s surgeries, Zak was shocked. “That was huge”, describes Zak, reflecting on the care Lou received. “Knowing that Pets In Need would provide two knee surgeries…it gave me tremendous trust in the agency.” Now fully recovered, Lou delights in wrestling with Scout. “It’s lightened the mood in the house,” Zak laughs.

Lou’s story is far from unique at Pets In Need. He isn’t an exception but rather the poster child for the best-in-class shelter medicine that your generosity enables. Lou’s journey from pain and uncertainty to a joyful, active life is a testament to what can be achieved through compassion and commitment.

When asked what she would want to say to those who made Lou’s surgeries possible, Zak thoughtfully shared, “I just feel like he got a second chance at life and our family got our next amazing chapter…it’s like this wave that impacts so many people.”

So, reader: From Lou, from Zak, from Scout, and from all the Pets In Need families they represent, thank you for being part of our wave of positivity.

Two were in such dire condition that the medical team had to make the heart-wrenching decision to humanely euthanize them. The remaining twelve were in critical condition, suffering from a potentially fatal vitamin C deficiency that causes lethargy, joint pain, and hair loss. Thanks to Pets In Need’s generous donors, the medical team had the resources to spring into action, administering antibiotics, pain medications, and anti-inflammatories, and hand-feeding the guinea pigs a nutritional slurry to restore them back to health.

Among the twelve surviving guinea pigs was Bond, named for one of the vinyl records he was found with. He had sores, a missing eye and infected socket, painful, loose teeth and bedraggled hair from his vitamin C deficiency. When Clare first laid eyes on him, she knew she was in for a challenge. And yet: “I knew immediately this was going to be a [foster] fail,” Clare admits with a smile. “[He was] completely irresistible.”

Clare is no stranger to a “foster fail,” the phenomenon in which a foster parent “fails” to let go of their charge and adopts instead. Her current herd of guinea pigs is made up almost entirely of such “fails” – including Pets In Need alum Acorn, the geriatric male with arthritis who is kept young by his lady friends, and another alum Korra, born under Clare’s care.

Clare’s love for guinea pigs began at the zoo, where she was entrusted with two pigs destined to be ambassador animals. She taught them tricks like walking up onto her hand, touching a target, walking in and out of a carrier, and even standing on their hind legs. One of these was a crested silver agouti, just like Bond.

“I just thought ‘you’re perfect in every way,’” Clare says when she saw Bond. Over the weeks Clare fostered him, she only fell more in love with his personality. “He was such a good boy about taking his meds,” she laughs. “With his eye missing, I thought he might startle more easily, but he has a bold personality and doesn’t spook easily.”

Clare takes pride in watching her foster animals transform. Initially, Bond was clearly in pain, unwilling to move or eat much, but over his weeks in foster with Clare, he blossomed. Soon his 2.5x7 ft enclosure felt too small for his frequent zoomies. “He’s a sleep hard, play hard kind of a guy,” Clare says. Bond fit in perfectly with her existing herd, Clare describes his introduction as the easiest she’s ever done—and with thirty guinea pig fosters under her belt, she knows what she’s talking about.

“I’ve always wanted to foster,” Clare reflects. “I remember asking my parents about it when I was little, I wanted to save them all, I wanted to help them all.” Fostering allows animals to escape the stress of the shelter environment, which makes room for more animals in need. For humans, it’s a chance to witness the incredible transformation of these animals as they heal and thrive. “It’s so rewarding,” Clare says, adding that it’s perfect for anyone who isn’t ready to commit to a pet for life. “It’s all the joys of pet ownership without the commitment.”

So many people came together to make this happy ending possible: from the good Samaritan who reported the abandoned guinea pigs, to the animal control officers who responded, to the Pets In Need employees and volunteers who nursed them back to health, and to you, our donors, whose support makes this work possible every day. Because of your generosity, Bond is now thriving in his loving home. In fact, we’re pleased to share that he recently won 3rd place in a local veggie eating contest! It’s stories like these that remind us of the power of compassion and community—now that’s what we call a true “foster win.”