Meet the PAWS Foster Team

Dec 07, 2020

Every year, thousands of the animals that come to PAWS spend part of their rescue journey in foster homes. Whether they’re healing from an injury or illness, growing older until they’re ready for adoption, or just need a break from shelter life, foster homes are absolutely vital to the PAWS mission. Meet the team that keeps this PAWS foster program running!

Brian Zeman

Brian is the Assistant Director of the PAWS Adoption/Foster program! His main responsibility is to help the overlooked underdogs (and cats) at our Lincoln Park Adoption Center find foster homes until they’re adopted. 

Brain says, “Without a doubt my favorite part of the job is when long-term, harder to place animals get adopted by their foster families. When I have a foster tell me they’re adopting their dog/cat, especially if they’ve been fostering for a long time, it makes my week!” And he’s speaking from experience–Brian himself is a two time foster fail, first with his three-legged Boxer, Larry, who passed in April of 2019, then with Roger, who’s just days away from celebrating his two-year Gotcha Day anniversary!

Tarra Gilliand

Meet Tarra! She’s a Relief Foster Coordinator, which means she steps in when the foster team needs an extra hand with appointments, emails, or animal care. Since starting at PAWS, she’s transitioned to this part-time position and is still so vital to the foster team. Tarra says “I love it there so much, I refused to leave. What I look forward to the most, outside of being with the animals, is just the company of being around others that have the love and compassion for animals the way I do.”

When she’s not helping the sick and injured animals at the PAWS Medical Center, you can find her dancing around her living room with Boo, her second foster fail, much to Boo’s chagrin.