Jane, a 3- or 4-year-old chihuahua-spaniel-terrier mix, faced an uncertain future when both her owners died from COVID-19. After she was surrendered to a rescue agency, a routine veterinarian visit revealed she was pregnant.

That was when Angela “Ang” Catania took Jane into her home in Beverly. Catania has fostered rescue agency pets for five years. By her own account, she has cared for 104 dogs and 123 cats, but this was her first time as a dog midwife.

“I wanted to experience caring for a mom and puppies, so I volunteered to foster her. I watched 10 hours of instructional videos and got loads of professional advice to prepare for Jane,” Catania said.

On March 27, Jane gave birth to eight puppies, with Catania assisting for the final one.

The puppies are thriving and should be ready for adoption this summer. Jane, a nurturing and protective mother, will be spayed and put up for adoption.

For Catania, it has been rewarding to be part of Jane’s successful foster story. For Jane, Catania’s fostering likely saved her and her puppies’ lives.

Fostering pets is a critically important part of the rescue/shelter/adoption process. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, fostering in a safe home environment helps animals survive and become adoptable. Many of the animals come from “tough circumstances” and the individualized care helps them develop into healthy, socialized pets, capable of receiving and giving affection to humans. Fostering often introduces the animal to potential adopters.

Catania, who is employed in finance, currently volunteers as a foster coordinator with the Chicago-based nonprofit L.E.A.D. Rescue, which stands for Love Everything About Dogs.

L.E.A.D., founded by Michelle Kundrat, only deals with dogs and does all its animal care through fostering. There is no central shelter. The adoptable animals are shown on a website and social media sites. In-person meetings are arranged for potential adoptions.

Kundrat said that L.E.A.D. is always looking for more people to foster dogs.

“We want people to come and help us,” she said. “Fostering can be for anyone. People who can’t have a permanent pet because of a family or living or work situation might be able to provide a safe place for a dog until its forever home can be found. If you can put in the time and effort, give the dog love, treat it as your own, you can save a pet’s life.”

There are over 150 rescue agencies and shelters in the Chicago and suburban areas. Some are general, and some are species- or breed-specific.

People interested in fostering can start with investigating agencies and shelters via their websites and social media pages. Sections on fostering, including application forms and descriptions of the approval process, are usually on the websites. An agency should be expected to reach out to foster applicants and answer any questions.

Louise Strall, who has fostered

hundreds of animals over the years, started through the Anti-Cruelty Society and now sits on the Board of C.A.R.E. (Community Animal Rescue Effort). She shared her personal perspectives on fostering.

“Everyone wants the fostering experience to be successful, for the person, for the shelter, and especially for the animal. The reputable shelters are very upfront about the medical and behavior issues an animal has before letting it go to a foster home. The person doing the fostering should learn everything the shelter knows about the animal so there won’t be many surprises,” Strall said.

According to Strall, rescue agencies generally cover all the expenses, from medical care to food and supplies, but this should be verified with an agency.

A frequent question is how long a foster stint may last, and that will depend upon the animal and the person doing the fostering.

Strall advised people considering fostering to think about the level of care to which they can commit.

“People need to look into their own souls about what they can support and handle, not only with time and money, but emotionally, also,” Strall said. “A person can start with a short commitment to help an animal with a minor health problem or socialization, then decide about moving on from there.”

Taking in sicker or more needy animals, such as motherless neonatal kittens or puppies, or an animal with severe behavior issues, requires more care and potentially some heartache because, no matter how good the care is, some animals will not make it to the adoption process.

A lot of people who foster, possibly even most, do have “foster fails.” This is shelter jargon for adopting an animal that the person was fostering. Catania, Kundrat, and Strall have all adopted animals they were fostering.

In fact, one reason some people say they could never foster is because they could never part with the animals.

To that, Strall replied, “You have to be realistic, you can’t keep them all, you can’t give them the resources and attention they need. Fostering is a very giving experience. It’s a mindset. ‘I am doing this to help this animal now, and as hard as it might be to let this animal go, it will go to a good home, and I can look forward to helping the next animal.’ It’s a pattern you set up.”

Catania agreed, and said it was part of the reason she fosters — to give back to both animals and people some of the emotional support and unconditional love she has received from pets.

“I have to say goodbye to the foster pet, but the new owner gets to say hello. Some of these animals have changed the lives of these people for the better so it’s not just about saving the life of the animal, but also helping the people involved,” Catania said.

Jane wagged her tail in agreement. There is no doubt her puppies will quickly find homes, and this fortunate little foster dog, who loves humans, cuddling and playing ball, has already been spoken for by several people.

Carol Flynn is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.