Foster a pet this Christmas through Santa Rosa County Animal Services' (SRCAS) Home for the Pawlidays short-term foster program! Foster parents can pick up a pet from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wed. Dec. 21 or Thur., Dec. 22, foster them through the Christmas holiday and drop them off Tue., Jan. 3 from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The shelter will provide everything a foster parent needs to care for the animal, including food, toys, treats, a harness and a leash.

This program gives pets a break from the shelter environment and the opportunity to spend the holidays in a loving foster home. Foster homes give the shelter great insight into the animal's behavior and reduce the number of shelter pets to care for during the holidays.

Those interested in this program should complete a foster application and check out pets needing foster homes. Staff recommends scheduling time to meet animals prior to picking up for fostering, all pets available for adoption online can be fostered.

The shelter asks that foster parents take lots of photos and videos of their temporary pets and share feedback on the animal's behavior, likes and dislikes. For more information, call the shelter at 850-983-4680.