In February 2023, Abigail Hill hit rock bottom.
Struggling deeply with depression, she found that therapy alone wasn’t enough. That’s when she met Tulsi, a licensed emotional support dog.
“Tulsi forced me to become more accountable for my own well-being,” Hill said. “I really owe it all to her, she changed my life.”
And Hill isn’t the only one who’s been impacted by a furry friend. At Cal Poly, a growing number of students are welcoming pets into their lives, either through adoption or fostering, as a way to manage stress, cope with loneliness or gain a sense of responsibility.
Jamie Relth, the director of development at local nonprofit, Woods Humane Society, has observed an increase in college-aged students fostering pets after the society rescued animals from the Los Angeles wildfires in January.
She explained that their fostering circle has grown significantly in the neighborhoods surrounding Cal Poly, as several sorority and friend groups have learned about the nonprofit.
“What made a difference was word of mouth,” Relth said.
From early January to March, Woods Humane Society fostered 168 animals — including 58 dogs and 85 puppies. This is a significant increase from the 93 animals fostered in the three months prior, Relth explained.
“Fosters provide a safe, warm environment for animals when they’re waiting for medical treatment or adoption,” Relth said. “They also help free up kennel space, which is vital for shelter operations.”
While fostering animals helps shelter operations immensely, Relth noted it also provides students with a flexible, short-term way to experience pet care without taking on the full commitment of adoption.
Experiencing this first hand, business administration senior Akanksha Banerjee fostered a 5-week-old pit bull terrier puppy named Freddy in November 2024 through Woods Humane Society.
“We had to potty train him, and all three of my roommates really had to be on board,” Banerjee said. “I couldn’t have taken care of him alone.”
Banerjee said that fostering pets isn’t as easy as she had once thought. She realized how much fostering a pet altered her priorities.
“There were times when I had to ask my roommates to take care of him when I was swamped with schoolwork,” Banerjee said. “You really have to be willing to put in the work.”
The Cal Poly Cat Program, a 400-member, student-run club and on-campus cat shelter, also offers students the opportunity to foster and adopt animals. The program has seen significant success, with 67 adoptions so far this year, according to Lead Foster Coordinator Emma Sheffo. A large percentage of these adoptions come from students, she noted.
“We want to get as many adoptable cats into homes as possible, and that relies on the success of our foster program,” said Sheffo, an interdisciplinary studies senior. “Cal Poly students really are the heart of our program here, and our fosters are crucial to our operations at the shelter.”
Sheffo said that all of the program’s fosters are students, which comes with both benefits and challenges.
“Some people just aren’t ready for the responsibility [of fostering], and then we have to step in and remind them of their commitments for the cat’s sake,” Sheffo said.
She attributed this concern to students juggling multiple commitments, such as classes, jobs and social activities. Despite these challenges, she emphasized the positive impact that fostering can have on both students and their animals.
“College students are very empathetic, and they really pour their hearts into their foster cats,” Sheffo said. “Some cats come from traumatic situations and need patience. The students provide that in abundance.”
After fostering through the Cal Poly Cat Program last year, materials engineering junior Caiden Figlioli adopted a cat from the program named Gizmo. What began as a temporary foster turned into a permanent adoption.
“Gizmo basically became what we call a ‘foster fail,’” Figlioli said, with a laugh. “I just wanted some extra love in my life, and he’s been there for me through thick and thin.”
Figlioli takes Gizmo on hikes, where the adventurous cat perches on his shoulder as they explore the outdoors.
“It’s a very simple routine of taking care of him,” Figlioli said, noting that he uses automatic feeders and water fountains to make the care process easier.
For psychology sophomore Anahi Medina, adopting their 7-month-old calico kitten, Anita, was a decision that came with its own learning curve.
“I decided to get Anita because I heard she needed a home, and I was always planning to get a cat to help with stress,” Medina said.
As Medina’s roommate, Noemy Aguirre shares the experience of pet ownership. While Medina grew up having pets, Aguirre had never lived with an animal before.
“This has been a great learning experience for me because I’ve never taken care of an animal like this before,” Aguirre said. “I’ve learned that sometimes with animals, you really need to have patience, especially with a tiny kitten like Anita.”
Despite Anita’s 4 a.m. bouts of meowing and “zoomies” running through the apartment, Aguirre believes that the ups and downs of having a pet are worth it.