Roxie Lusk, a Maricopa County Animal Care and Control foster volunteer, is recognized among 22 National Foster Heroes by the Petco Foundation and Skechers’ charity footwear collection, BOBS from Skechers.

In celebration of National Foster a Pet Month in June, according to a press release, she was honored by the Petco Foundation and BOBS from Skechers for saving animal lives in Phoenix.

She and fellow National Foster Heroes will receive a prize pack including BOBS from Skechers shoes and their lifesaving work will be featured on petcofoundation.org/foster.

Ms. Lusk started fostering for the MCACC shelter in 2011. She stopped counting the numerous pets she has nursed to health and happiness after the number exceeded 1,000, the release said. 

“Roxie is more than willing to take on litters, which is critical for a shelter that sees almost 30,000 animals a year,” said Tina Clouser, MCACC senior shelter associate with alternative placement services in Phoenix, in a prepared statement.

“Roxie makes a difference not just for the community, but for each puppy that gets her special kind of foster love. Roxie says she sees it as bond that can be shared by everyone who chooses to foster.”

Ms. Lusk, who always had animals, remembered when she even cared for more than 35 puppies and seven mommas, detailed the release.

When she moved to her two-acre Sunburst Farm that she shares with her husband, Perry, and their pet dogs, horses, goats and miniature cow, it was natural for her to foster more pets , the release said.

“It is an honor to recognize the National Foster Heroes who are making a difference in their communities and demonstrating the lifesaving impact of fostering pets,” said Susanne Kogut, Petco Foundation president, in a prepared statement.

“During the response to the COVID-19 crisis, we saw a significant spike in the number of people fostering pets. Our goal is to continue this trend, inspire more people to join the pet fostering movement and make pets sheltering in foster homes, versus animal shelters, the new normal. Because, if less than 2% of pet-owning households in the U.S. fostered one pet a year, we could eliminate unnecessary euthanasia in animal shelters tomorrow.”

National Foster a Pet Month is part of the Petco Foundation’s Pledge to Save Pet Lives, which encourages animal lovers to adopt, foster, volunteer and/or donate this summer with a goal of inspiring 1.5 million pledges to match the approximate number of pets unnecessarily euthanized in shelters each year in the U.S., the release noted.

In addition to mobilizing the animal-loving public to help local animal welfare organizations save lives through the COVID-19 crisis, the Petco Foundation’s Pledge to Save Pet Lives included $1M in emergency product and cash donations to animal shelters.

This commitment follows the Petco Foundation’s recent distribution of more than $13M to animal welfare organizations nationwide, added the release.

To learn more about MCACC and how to help: maricopa.gov/5268/Animal-Care-and-Control.

For more on the Petco Foundation and to take the Pledge to Save Pet Lives: petcofoundation.org/pledge