What we can VERIFY about a viral meme promoting an all-expenses paid pet fostering program for seniors

Approximately 4.1 million shelter animals are adopted each year in the U.S., according to survey data collected by the ASPCA. 

People can adopt pets through shelters, rescue groups and other organizations, and sometimes those locations offer programs or financial assistance to eligible individuals. 

VERIFY reader Darlene emailed us a meme she saw on Facebook with more than 200,000 shares that advertises a pet fostering program catered specifically toward senior citizens who can’t afford the expenses of a pet. 

“PAWS is looking for people over 65 who live independently and would like the companionship of a pet but whose finances won’t stretch to pet ownership. A healthy, older dog or cat could joins [sic] seniors’ home as a permanent foster. PAWS would retain ownership and pay for food, litter and vet visits. This arrangement is a ‘win-win’ for cats and dogs not likely to be adopted due to their age and for seniors who want to enjoy the companionship of a pet,” the Facebook post says. 

Darlene asked us if it’s a real program, while others in the comments of the post asked for more information and whether they could participate in places like Texas and California. Other people asked if the program was only available in the U.S.

THE QUESTION

Is the pet fostering program for seniors described in the viral Facebook meme real?

THE SOURCES

• Frances Walker, interim executive director of PAWS of Bainbridge Island and North Kitsap
• Mick Szydlowski, PAWS (paws.org) director of public affairs
• News release and Facebook post from Paws for Seniors, a rescue in Toms Brook, Virginia
• Facebook post from Paws of Cape Town, South Africa
• Facebook post from PAWS Atlanta, a shelter based in Atlanta, Georgia
• Facebook post from Paws for Life Animal League based out of Riverton, Wyoming

THE ANSWER

The pet fostering program for seniors described in the viral meme is real, but it’s not a program that is available nationwide. PAWS of Bainbridge Island & North Kitsap, located in Washington state, offers this program to local residents.

WHAT WE FOUND

This meme has been shared for years across Facebook as if the program being promoted is available for anybody to participate in. But there is no national program for seniors to adopt or “permanently” foster pets for free. The text from the meme actually comes from the website of a local animal shelter – not a national or global organization – and contains information about their own program for seniors.

Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) of Bainbridge Island & North Kitsap, located in Washington state, has a program called Pets & Loving Seniors (PALS). 

The PALS page says, “A healthy, older dog or cat could join your home as a permanent foster. PAWS would retain ownership and pay for food, litter and vet visits. This arrangement is a ‘win-win’ for cats not likely to be adopted due to their age and for seniors who want to enjoy the companionship of a pet.

This text is nearly identical to the text seen on the meme that has gone viral on Facebook. 

What the meme omitted to mention is that the service area for the program is ONLY Bainbridge Island and North Kitsap County in Washington state, Frances Walker, interim executive director of PAWS of Bainbridge Island and North Kitsap told VERIFY. 

She said the meme has been a “thorn in their side” for weeks because the meme has not only been shared nationally, it’s been shared globally.

“One woman assumed we could ship a cat to her in New Jersey! I wish that whomever created this meme would have better thought it through and added the geographic service area - it’s rather important,” Walker told VERIFY. 

Mick Szydlowski, the director of public affairs for a different animal welfare organization in Washington called PAWS (www.paws.org), told VERIFY they have also fielded questions about this meme. They do have a Seniors for Seniors program open to residents in Washington state, but it does not cover the costs of the animal as the meme states.

“[The meme] is not a message we put out. There are quite a few organizations that use the PAWS acronym, but they are unaffiliated with us. I believe that this specific message is from PAWS of Bainbridge Island and Kitsap County,” Szydlowski told VERIFY. 

“I understand that it's a bit confusing,” Szydlowski said.

An animal rescue out of Toms Brook, Virginia, called Paws for Seniors also addressed the meme in a news release published on their website on Dec. 7. 

“The post regarding a permanent foster program is a screenshot of a program run out of Washington State has many people contacting us,” the statement on the website said. “We are certain they have also had many inquiries. We hope and pray they can provide the services to the many potential pet parents that need pet companionship for a full and healthy life.”

The meme appears to have been circulating on Facebook globally for years, VERIFY found. 

In December 2021, Paws of Cape Town, an animal shelter in South Africa, shared the meme on their Facebook page with the caption: “Fake News! Incase [sic] you are looking to foster, this program is NOT US, so please do not contact us for more information.”

In February 2022, a shelter with the name PAWS based out of Atlanta, Georgia, posted the meme on Facebook with a red X over the photo. The caption said: “! This isn't us! There's been a screenshot floating around from a different non-profit in Washington about a free, permanent pet foster program for senior citizens. This is not from PAWS Atlanta!”

In June 2022, a shelter called Paws for Life Animal League based out of Riverton, Wyoming, also posted on Facebook saying they have received calls and visitors asking about the program seen in the meme. They called the meme “false information.”

There are shelters across the U.S. that have senior programs that help people over 60 find companionship with a senior animal. Pets for the Elderly (PFE) helps pay fees to participating animal shelters, including pre-adoption veterinary exams and spay and neuter. Here is a list of PFE shelters and the services they provide.

You should contact your own local animal shelter or rescue organization in your area about adoption or foster programs.