Olivia Munn Helps Henry Golding Find the Perfect Foster Dog While Social Distancing
Henry Golding is a foster dog dad.
The Crazy Rich Asians stars shared the news on Instagram Tuesday.
“So today was a huge day at the Golding household, we became foster parents for this little pup Stella. Sadly with COVID 19, a lot of the adoption shelters still need to find homes for these beauties, what better way to share your home in quarantine than with a loving fuzzball.” Golding, 33, wrote on Instagram, alongside a series of shots of he and wife Liv Lo meeting their new foster pooch.
A post shared by Henry Golding (@henrygolding) on Mar 31, 2020 at 8:09pm PDT
As the photos show, Golding didn’t find Stella solo; he had help from celebrity friend Olivia Munn.
Munn, 39, the chief strategist for on-demand pet care and dog-walking company Wag!, used her pet expertise to connect Golding with Wag! and GreaterGood.org. The two groups were able to find Golding the perfect match in Stella, a shelter dog from START Animal Rescue.
Courtesy Olivia Munn
“Of course, during our whole interaction we kept a safe distance and made sure to wear protective equipment, it’s still so doable even in this challenging time,” Golding added in his post about his meeting with Munn and the shelter to pick up Stella.
Courtesy Olivia Munn
Less than 24 hours into caring for a foster dog, and Golding it already urging others to provide care to pets looking for a temporary home during the novel coronavirus (COVID 19) pandemic. Golding joins a growing list of celebrities who have chosen to foster a pet while social distancing, which includes Selena Gomez, Antoni Porowski, and Camila Morrone.
At the end of his Instagram post, Golding urged his followers to check out StayHomeAndFoster.org a site started by GreaterGood.org to support their #StayHomeandFoster initiative.
The site connects users to shelters in their area looking for fosters and provides a universal foster form that allows prospective pet foster parents to easily register to foster at any applicable shelter.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented animal sheltering crisis in the United States and homeless pets with nowhere to go are at risk of being euthanized,” Liz Baker, CEO of GreaterGood.org, said in a statement. “Fostering a pet is the solution, and StayHomeAndFoster.org makes it easy by connecting potential pet foster parents with animal shelters in their local communities.”
Shelters across the country are encouraging animal lovers to foster a pet during the coronavirus pandemic, citing the choice as a way to help rescues, pets, and your own mental health during this difficult time.
“Animal shelters across the country are having to deal with an increase of dogs and cats in need of homes because fewer people are visiting shelters right now, and in some cases, shelters are having to temporarily close to the public,” Julie Castle the CEO of Best Friends Animal Society, told PEOPLE. “Some animal shelters are already seeing an increase in intake, and many are bracing themselves for the possibility of fewer adoptions and fewer foster homes, and are concerned about limited space.”
“It’s not only safe to keep pets in the home, but also beneficial, as they can serve as a source of comfort during a crisis,” Castle added. “The companionship of pets has been shown to reduce stress and lower anxiety, helping people to feel calmer and more secure when the news from the outside world is distressing.”
The Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization, and the American Veterinary Medical Association have all stated that pets are not at risk of spreading COVID-19, and science has shown time and time again that adding an animal to your life makes you happier and healthier.
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