For now, little Dorito can either sit on a bench at Madison Square Park or in the arms of Faith Lew. Lew is fostering him.

What You Need To Know

  • Faith Lew is fostering a dog named Dorito

  • Hearts and Bones Rescue, the organization where Lew got her dog, says fewer people are fostering dogs

  • Since the pandemic, Hearts and Bones says fostering has decreased by 50%

 "Dorito is only three months and does not have all of his vaccines but once he does we will be able to have him on the ground," said Lew.
 
Lew has been fostering the pup for three weeks now.

"This is our first puppy, it's been a big learning curve a lot of Googling what puppies need turns out they need a lot of toys," said Lew.

Now after the pandemic, Lew will be working from home permanently. So far, since the pandemic, started she has fostered four dogs. It all started because she had the time to do it. She also has her own dog, Garbanzo.

"Everybody had a lot of time on their hands and I guess I just figured we're not doing anything so you might as well put some time into charity work or whatever will make you feel better so this just happened to be that," said Lew.

However, according to Hearts and Bones Rescue, the organization where Lew got her dog, fewer people are helping out. Hearts and Bones works with shelters in Texas and brings the dogs to New York City to be matched with foster homes.
 
"We rescue our dogs from Texas shelters because that is one of the states with the largest number of dogs entering the shelters," said Allison Seelig, vice president of marketing and fundraising at Hearts and Bones Rescue.

Every few weeks, Hearts and Bones Rescue brings dogs just like Dorito from shelters in Texas to New York City, but the amount of dogs they bring to the city depends on how many people are interested in fostering.

Since the pandemic, Hearts and Bones says fostering has decreased by 50%. 

"In New York we're seeing fewer people being interested in fostering since things have opened up people are traveling. It's been harder for us to find enough people to foster all the dogs that need help in Texas," said Seelig.

In 2020, pet adoptions were on the rise when the pandemic caused New Yorkers to stay at home. Best Friends Lifesaving Center, an animal welfare organization with a facility in SoHo, has also seen decreased interest in adoptions by 17 this year. Lew said it makes her feel good to foster knowing that so many dogs need a home before they find a permanent owner.

"We want to be able to provide that home for them when they need it if they need the care for a few weeks we can do that," Lew said.