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SERVICE
FE L INE FRI EN D S
Foster Heroes
I
t started simply. Larry Juday (M’68) of Vancouver, Washington, had retired and pondered
getting a dog. With several cats in the house, his
wife, Susan Immer, suggested he “get his dog fix
at the shelter.” This was in 2006, and hundreds
of kittens plus their community have benefited as result of that conversation. Juday and
Immer have become fabulous feline foster parents, leading
efforts to help the Humane Society for Southwest Washington thrive and help animals find their forever homes.
The “dog fix” turned into regular shelter volunteering
for both Juday and Immer. As the couple helped out at
the shelter, their skills with cats were quickly noticed.
The shelter staff asked them to take home a few kittens
who needed special care, such as bottle feeding. Knowing
kittens do much better in a home environment, Juday
and Immer agreed. The couple have now fostered more
than 215 cats.
“From the very start, I recorded every kitten’s name and
ID number,” Juday recalls. He includes the day the kitten
arrived and when it was adopted. The couple enjoy naming
the kittens and have used mountain ranges, craft beverages,
and famous department stores as inspiration. Next up,
Juday says, are kittens named after Purdue notables, so
PUR D U E A LU MN I . O RG
Southwest Washington could soon have cats named John
Purdue or Gene Keady.
Each animal has its own story, from the just-born
orphan kittens who fit in the palm of Juday’s hand to the
adult cat who was poisoned by marijuana and needed
specific medical care. Both Juday and Immer are skilled in
giving medicine and injections prescribed by the shelter’s
veterinarian. This makes them ideal foster caregivers for
felines with special needs.
As one might guess, there have been times the couple
has become so attached to pets that there was no letting
go. “I’m sure there are very few foster families who haven’t
‘failed’ and adopted a foster cat,” Immer says. Juday shares
their own story of cat named Harvest who had been
turned in at the shelter with respiratory issues. The cat
regained his health under their care and started to help
socialize the foster kittens, serving as a mentor for them.
The cat was a neighborhood favorite who visited kids at
the school bus morning and night. “He was the smartest
cat!” Juday asserts.
In addition to helping animals, Juday and Immer help
coach other volunteers. Especially during the beginning
days of the pandemic when people were seeking pets, it
was advantageous that they had helped the shelter estabFA L L 2020
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