When talking to college students, the general consensus was that yes, they missed their homes. Yes, they missed Mom doing their laundry. But what did everyone admit they missed about home?

Their dogs. Why? As one college student put it, “You can’t talk on the phone to your dog the way you can talk to your mom!” But there’s a great solution to this problem of missing your furry friend: pet sitting!

Guardian Angels for Pets is a program designed for those in the U.S. Armed Forces with dogs. Often, soldiers get “man’s best friend” to keep them company while training. However, then when deployed, they are forced to get rid of those pets because they have no one to take care of them.

That’s where this program comes in. While these soldiers are fighting for our country, “foster” families take care of their pets, so that when they come home, they come home to their dog. Their mission statement is “Supporting our military service members, veterans, and their beloved pets to ensure they are reunited with their owners following deployment or emergency hardship.”

This Guardian Angel program works with volunteers who are screened to make sure they are fully able to care for the pets of soldiers. This is a great opportunity for those who are not ready for a full-time dog, but would like to care for one for a time until the owner comes home.

To become a volunteer or foster a dog, visit the Guardian Angel website to learn more.  Another non-profit group that helps foster dogs is NetPets, which offers relief to those involved in natural disasters who are no longer able to care for their pets.  Think about helping others in this way as the holidays approach!!