Fostering Success

While working as a lawyer, Buzz Miller, in his 80s, volunteered at a handful of animal shelters near his eastern Pennsylvania home. He remembers military personnel sitting on the shelter floor and crying their eyes out because they were shipping out and had to surrender their pets.

“That’s no way to treat brave servicemen and women,” he says.

At the time, he was a real estate and business lawyer. Although it left him financially comfortable, volunteering with dogs and cats at the shelters brought him more satisfaction than practicing law. As a volunteer, he met many people who fostered pets. He started phasing out of his law practices in 2004 to volunteer full-time with what he calls “the human-animal bond.”

“Some people aren’t ready to adopt,” Buzz says. “Fostering is a commitment, but it’s not permanent. I thought about matching fosters with the pets of deployed soldiers.”

In 2004, he retired from his law practice to volunteer with animals and in 2011 he founded PACT for Animals (People + Animals = Companions Together).  “I was 70 at the time and thought I should do something I love,” he says.

Buzz started small in his home state of Pennsylvania. It helped that he had plenty of contacts in the area. He knew animal shelter workers and several veterinarians. Many clued him in to service members with dogs and cats who were about to serve overseas. He also knew a few people who fostered pets. He set up a nonprofit to accept donations because he wanted to provide the fostering services for free.

People who foster must fill out an online application, agree to a veterinarian checkup that verifies all pets in the foster home are healthy, and consent to a personal home visit by a PACT volunteer. 

Foster animals in the program must be spayed or neutered and be up to date on all vaccines, and PACT will not accept any pet with a history of destruction or aggression towards people or animals.

Soldiers accepted into the program pay for veterinary visits, and people who foster send weekly updates about the pets in their care via email, Skype, Zoom or Facebook.

“Friendships form between fosters and soldiers,” Buzz says. “The soldiers appreciate the love and kindness given to their pets.”

Expanding to hospital patients

Today PACT operates throughout the United States, placing pets in a variety of foster homes. “Our best fosters are older people in their 60s and up who had a pet, but don’t want to own one,” Buzz says. “Fostering gets people out of the house. Many go to local dog parks and meet other dog owners. Walking a dog is good exercise. And dogs and cats make great companions.”

PACT was so successful that Buzz got a call from a doctor at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia asking if he’d extend the program to include hospital patients. “Some people may have to stay in the hospital for a month or longer,” Buzz says. “And hospitals are not pet-friendly. So what do you do if you or your child is sick and you’re spending your days and nights at a hospital? Who will care for your pet?”

PACT’s hospital foster program operates in the same manner as its military foster program. “We consider our pets members of our family,” Buzz says. “A patient in a hospital who knows he’ll see his pet once he gets out of the hospital has hope. He’ll keep fighting to recover. It gives patients peace of mind.

“The pet updates cheer the people and their families in the hospitals. And in both of our programs, friendships outlast deployment and hospital stays.” Buzz is thankful that his wife, Judi, loves animals as much as he does. “She was totally behind my retiring early to volunteer.”

Breaking bread

Buzz and his wife, in her 70s, took lockdown seriously. “Because of our age, we stayed home,” he says. “That meant no family or friends visiting. Before the pandemic, we had weekly dinners at our house. Judi’s a great cook. We’re both vaccinated, which means a return to weekly dinner parties.”

What’s changed is the menu. Judi used to make homemade breads, ice creams and strawberry shortcakes. Buzz wanted to drop a few pounds, so he’s eating fresh fruits and vegetables, fruit shakes, grains and fish. “We cut back on fats and sugar and, honestly, I feel much better,” he says. “I lost 8 pounds in three weeks.

“Having friends at our house, traveling to Florida to visit family and eating out means our social circle returned. It feels great.”

Working out

Buzz’s exercise routine changed, too. He used to run on city streets, on country trails and on his elliptical machine. But then he tore the tendons in his right leg. The pain was so bad that he had to wear leg braces and use a wheelchair for a month. Now he rides a stationary bike 40 minutes a day. “My doctor told me not to run,” he says.

He also lifts weights two to three times a week. “It’s excellent strength training.”

The human-animal bond

For as long as Buzz can remember, dogs and cats were a part of his family. “My mom rescued collies and cats,” he says. “Growing up, we had pets in the house.”

Today, he and Judi live with three cats, a golden doodle and a bird. He rescued a horse who lives on a farm in Florida. “Being around animals lifts my spirits,” he says.

Studies suggest that pet owners exhibit decreased blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels, all of which can minimize their risk for having a heart attack down the road.

Restorative nights

COVID-19 impacted Buzz’s routine. Lifestyle changes can disrupt sleep. Being indoors a lot and not keeping busy made getting a good night’s sleep difficult. Now that life is returning to normal, he sleeps well.

Mental stimulation

“Running PACT keeps me happy. I’ve met so many wonderful people and pets,” he says. “PACT also opened up opportunities for me to speak at animal welfare organizations around the country.”

Public speaking builds confidence and widened Buzz’s social circles. Research has found that having a sense of purpose may benefit brain health. “I enjoy talking about PACT, meeting people and sharing information,” he says.