Grace Dietz
Executive Arts Editor
Costa junior Jessica Bruhns fosters animals from local animal shelters to give them the best care possible before they find forever homes.
Bruhns has been fostering animals from the Hawthorne Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (spcLA) for the past eight years and has also interned with veterinarian Deborah Robertson and her at-home veterinary service called South Bay Mobile Vet.
“We got the idea from my mom’s friend who started fostering before us,” Bruhns said. “We went to her house to see her puppies and realized that it was something that we really wanted to do. From there, my sister and I pestered our mom until she eventually gave in and let us foster.”
Over the years, Bruhns has fostered approximately 500 animals and found homes for each one. Bruhns works with the Hawthorne spcLA because the center is constantly in need of more foster parents. According to Bruhns, more strays are found during the summer and fall, so she tries to foster as many as possible before they are euthanized. Bruhns typically fosters litters of kittens and occasionally puppies, but she has even cared for ducklings.
“My favorite animal that we fostered was a little kitten named Daisy,” Bruhns said. “She was a little black kitten with the most amazing personality. She would cuddle and snuggle with us, but she was also extremely playful.”
Bruhns is the primary care provider for the animals in her family and is in charge of feeding them, cleaning up after them and ensuring they stay healthy.
Being a foster parent for animals is a difficult job, as it constantly interferes with her busy schedule, Bruhns said.
“No matter how busy I am, I have to allot time to take care of the animals,” Bruhns said. “If that means sacrificing any plans I had made, so be it. I made a commitment and took the responsibility to care of these animals, and to not oblige to that would be unfair to them, as they deserve proper care and love.”
The shelter provides all the necessary items for the foster animals, but Bruhns frequently buys nicer materials or better quality food to make the animals more comfortable. The best part about fostering animals is the joy from knowing that she has done her best to help find homes for every single animal, Bruhns said.
“You really develop a bond with each of the animals you foster,” Bruhns said. “It is so rewarding to know that the animals that we raise are going to be the center of someone’s universe and provide them with happiness and joy.”
Bruhns has continued to learn more about how to properly care for foster animals through her internship with Robertson. Bruhns also learned how to draw animals’ blood, how to monitor a patient under anesthesia and how to prepare and administer vaccines. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career as a veterinarian and continue to work with animals every day.
“Through the internship, I was able to see how much time and effort it takes to be a veterinarian,” Bruhns said. “I made some amazing connections and lasting relationships with the people I worked with.”
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