Project Active Duty pairs military members’ pets with safe homes during deployment

The Arizona Humane Society’s (AHS) Project Active Duty program pairs military members who need to house their pets during deployment with locals who are ready to step forward to foster and take care of the animals.

It’s part of the larger Project Home Away from Home program, which helps all sorts of pet owners not just service members. Through the program, pet owners who are in a critical time of need, which can range from housing instability to domestic violence, can send their pets to AHS.

Carrie Hughes, the foster manager at AHS, joined “Arizona Horizon” along with Sabo, a two-year-old husky who is part of the program, and whose owner is currently deployed overseas.

Project Active Duty was created after 9/11, when AHS realized that there was a need for military members that were going to be actively deployed and needed a solution for where to house their pets if they didn’t have any friends or family nearby to take care of their furry friends.

“This program was created to help pets like Sabo and owners to keep the pets reunited as our military members serve,” Hughes said.

Hughes explained that Sabo has been in the program for a year and is expected to be part of Project Active Duty for at least another year while his owner is deployed.

“It’s a very special commitment for a foster home to be able to take in someone’s pet and really care for it and love it as their own,” Hughes said.

According to Hughes, the reunifications between pets and their owners are heartwarming. “It’s so special for our foster heroes to be able to keep in contact with the military members to tell them that their pets are okay,” Hughes said.

If you are interested in becoming a foster hero for AHS, visit azhumane.org/foster.