Standing by Those Who Serve—And the Pets They Leave Behind

When a service member deploys or a patient is rushed into surgery, there’s an urgent question no one plans for: what happens to the family pet?

For thousands of families each year, the answer is heartbreaking—beloved animals are surrendered to already overcrowded shelters, not because they’re unwanted, but because there is simply nowhere else for them to go.

That’s where PACT for Animals steps in.

PACT is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free, in-home foster care for pets belonging to active-duty military, veterans, and individuals facing medical crises or extended hospitalization. Through its Operation Foster program, PACT matches pets with carefully screened volunteer families—ensuring they remain safe, loved, and out of shelters until they can be reunited with their owners.

Since 2011, PACT has helped more than 3,500 pets nationwide—but the real story is in the reunions: emotional homecomings where tails wag, tears fall, and families are made whole again after months apart.