Heart and Hands Make Rescue a Reality: Meet SVPP’s Foster Care Manager

(l to r) Andrea’s daughter Haven, Ruby the rescue, and Andrea. photo: SVPP

The heart of Silicon Valley Pet Project (SVPP) is its ability to rescue pets from the shelter, get them into foster homes, and provide the medical, dental, behavioral care, and support they need to heal and blossom. Needless to say, this work takes a lot of hands, and Andrea Lee has two of the biggest hands – and one of the biggest hearts – around. As SVPP foster care manager, Andrea coordinates everything from rescue to adoption with the help of other SVPP volunteers.

Andrea embodies the passion, commitment, and emotional hard work needed to make a rescue a success. We recently sat down with her for a conversation to find out more.

How did you first get involved in rescue work and when did you get involved with SVPP?

It started with a deep love for dogs. My first rescue dog was Ivy, a retired racing Greyhound. We adopted her 13 years ago. Sadly, she passed 4 years later of cancer. I found SVPP because a few months after Ivy passed, my daughters pushed me to find another dog, and we met Ruby, a beautiful, one-eyed American Bully mix. Ruby taught me the depth of love that dogs can bring into a family. She battled heartworm and three different types of cancer and so many fears in her brief life, but she gave me so much: a love for Bully breeds and a better understanding of animal rescue and the importance of giving stable, loving homes to dogs who need us. After Ruby passed, I adopted a sweet, broken 4-year-old American Bully from Jake's Wish who did not know how to be a dog. In order to help her learn to be a dog, I started fostering through SVPP and, in February 2020, I agreed to start as a foster coordinator. The next month, the pandemic hit and things got really busy really fast. I never looked back!

How would you describe your role as foster manager?

I am a scheduler, volunteer trainer, part-time vet tech, match-maker, community education specialist, and most importantly, a cheerleader — both for the animals and for the amazing fosters who give them loving homes.

Can you share one of your most important rescue stories with us?

Each rescue is so special, it is very difficult to choose! But one that I think about often is a young American Bully mix we pulled from Tri-City Shelter in July 2020. She was so scared and very sick. She had foxtails in her mammary glands and bite marks on and around her head. Everything was new and scary to Star. She was fostered by an incredibly gentle and patient young couple and very slowly began to gain a little confidence. When she was ready for adoption, a single dad and his daughter applied for her. His wife had recently passed, and he and his daughter were in the midst of moving to get a fresh start. The daughter needed a companion to help her through her trauma, and Star needed a family who would give her time, space, and unconditional love to overcome her trauma. It was the most beautiful match and a testament to the power of rescue.

What’s the most important thing that we need to know about the state of rescue right now?

The needs are greater now than ever before. There is not just a single reason for the desperate state of animal rescue right now. There are myriad reasons, and they have stacked up to create an unsustainable situation. Rescues like SVPP need more fosters, adopters, and donors. Shelters need more funds and more staffing and more solutions to help keep animals in their homes. Communities need more access to low-cost spay-neuter, more landlords who don't restrict pet ownership, and more regulations on animal breeders with significant penalties for those who dump "imperfect" puppies, mommas, and stud dogs. Animals need humans with more capacity for patience and commitment.

I know this role brings lots of challenges, but what brings you joy?

Matching a dog or cat in need with a family who will give them a loving, forever home and will not give up on them.

We hope you have enjoyed meeting one of the people behind the Silicon Valley Pet Project. If you have the heart - or the hands - to help pets in need, please consider volunteering or supporting our work in other ways. Learn more at https://www.svpetproject.org