Youngwood's Hospaws merging with similar program for pet care during human medical emergencies

Hospaws is ending its operations, but the Youngwood-based organization’s mission of providing temporary foster homes or assistance to pets whose owners are in need of medical care will continue, president Valerie Hoegel said.

Many of the nonprofit’s volunteers and foster homes are going to work with a similar program managed by Paws Across Pittsburgh, and any animals in Hospaws’ care as of Jan. 1 will be automatically transferred to that group’s Short-Term Animal Foster Emergency Program.

The closing of Hospaws and merging with the SAFE program will mean a larger network of foster homes to help pet owners. The service Hospaws provides will continue to be available locally, just under a different name, Hoegel said.

“I just think this is going to be a better way to help more people,” she said.

Since the creation of Hos­paws in 2014, hundreds of pets have been fostered at the homes of volunteers or otherwise cared for while their owners got medical attention. The organization has helped keep pets with their owners at no cost by preventing the animals from being surrendered if an owner doesn’t have a pet caretaker. Pets and owners are reunited after medical situations such as a hospital stay or procedure.

“I love doing it,” Hoegel said. “I love to be able to help those people. You make a lot of friends.”

But fundraising has been hard for the past couple of years, an issue many nonprofits have faced. By closing Hos­paws, the group won’t have the expenses and can combine efforts with Paws Across Pittsburgh.

“I really think it’s going to be a good thing,” she said. “It’s sad to see it go,” but the move will enable both groups to have a larger reach.

Many of Hospaws’ foster homes are applying to volunteer with the SAFE program.

“Most of us are still going to be involved,” Hoegel said.

The last day for intakes through Hospaws will be Oct. 31. Anyone needing a short-term emergency foster can fill out an application at pawsacrosspittsburgh.com/safe. Contact information for Paws Across Pittsburgh is available at that link.

There are animals in Hospaws foster homes that are available for adoption. Details about those animals will be posted on the group’s Facebook page facebook.com/Hospaws.