Amanda Hulebak's Christmas card photo this year is not your average family photo; 18 dogs she either rescued or is fostering are featured in it.Hulebak said despite the thousands of likes and shares her card received online since posting it Dec. 5, she is not seeking attention or praise for being foster-dog mom #goals. Instead, Hulebak said she views the cards as more of a public service announcement telling others they can and should foster, too. "I wish more people would stop saying thank you and step up with me," Hulebak said. "That's really why I posted that, not for the praise, or for the thank yous, but to show people you can do it to, you can foster and help this city and help these animals."Hulebak said she fostered and rescued dogs officially for the last 13 years. Currently, 18 dogs live with her, some she rescued on her own and some she is fostering for local rescue organizations. Hulebak said she's rescued dogs off the street since she was a child.Click here to see more foster photos from Amanda Hulebak"Since I was a little girl, dogs have always been a part of my life," Hulebak said. "I feel like I've been able to communicate or connect with dogs in a way that a lot of people can't."Hulebak is a crusader for stray and abused dogs. She works with local rescues, is active on social media by advocating for other dogs in need or helping locate homes for them and even approaches people she thinks may be mistreating dogs or selling sick puppies in social media videos. "I just believe right is right," Hulebak said of her decision to confront alleged dog abusers. "And especially for dogs because they have no voice, we are their voice."Hulebak said while fostering dogs is expensive, there are some rescues that provide both financial support and help the person fostering find a family to adopt the animal. For her, the hardest part of fostering is letting go."Fostering is the most selfless act I feel like a person can do...every single time I let a foster go my heart breaks, but I keep doing it for them," Hulebak said. "It's not about me or how I feel, it's about saving as many dogs as I can."Hulabak said she hopes to create her own nonprofit animal rescue in the future. She started a grassroots movement that aims to raise awareness about the high amount of strays by using the hashtag, #thisishouston on social media. She said she eventually hopes her nonprofit movement can spread to other southern cities as well."Any time that we see or are a part of an animal cruelty case that we feel like the city could be a part of in terms of helping the stray epidemic in Houston, we use the hashtag #thisishouston " Hulebak said. "Because this is Houston, this is the part of Houston that nobody knows about. That people in our own city don't know about."While Houston is known for needing to address a rampant stray population, officials have taken efforts to address it, such as when officials planned to build a new facility at Harris County's overburdened animal shelter. Officials like Harris County Judge Ed Emmett in the past called the city's problem with strays "outrageous."From volunteering at a rescue to actually taking an animal, in, there are a myriad of ways to help, Hulebak said. For now, she said her hands are full with the 18 dogs she is caring for through the holiday season. She said anyone interested in fostering or helping rescue dogs can contact her for more information."If someone doesn't want to reach out to me , then my suggestion would be to do some research on local rescues with great reviews," Hulebak said. "It's not just fostering, there are so many other things that rescues need like foster coordinators, volunteers, donations. You name it, rescues need it."
HOUSTON — Amanda Hulebak's Christmas card photo this year is not your average family photo; 18 dogs she either rescued or is fostering are featured in it.
Hulebak said despite the thousands of likes and shares her card received online since posting it Dec. 5, she is not seeking attention or praise for being foster-dog mom #goals.
Instead, Hulebak said she views the cards as more of a public service announcement telling others they can and should foster, too.
"I wish more people would stop saying thank you and step up with me," Hulebak said. "That's really why I posted that, not for the praise, or for the thank yous, but to show people you can do it to, you can foster and help this city and help these animals."
Hulebak said she fostered and rescued dogs officially for the last 13 years. Currently, 18 dogs live with her, some she rescued on her own and some she is fostering for local rescue organizations. Hulebak said she's rescued dogs off the street since she was a child.
"Since I was a little girl, dogs have always been a part of my life," Hulebak said. "I feel like I've been able to communicate or connect with dogs in a way that a lot of people can't."
Hulebak is a crusader for stray and abused dogs. She works with local rescues, is active on social media by advocating for other dogs in need or helping locate homes for them and even approaches people she thinks may be mistreating dogs or selling sick puppies in
"I just believe right is right," Hulebak said of her decision to confront alleged dog abusers. "And especially for dogs because they have no voice, we are their voice."
Hulebak said while fostering dogs is expensive, there are some rescues that provide both financial support and help the person fostering find a family to adopt the animal. For her, the hardest part of fostering is letting go.
"Fostering is the most selfless act I feel like a person can do...every single time I let a foster go my heart breaks, but I keep doing it for them," Hulebak said. "It's not about me or how I feel, it's about saving as many dogs as I can."
Hulabak said she hopes to create her own nonprofit animal rescue in the future. She started a grassroots movement that aims to raise awareness about the high amount of strays by using the hashtag, #thisishouston on social media. She said she eventually hopes her nonprofit movement can spread to other southern cities as well.
"Any time that we see or are a part of an animal cruelty case that we feel like the city could be a part of in terms of helping the stray epidemic in Houston, we use the hashtag #thisishouston [on social media]" Hulebak said. "Because this is Houston, this is the part of Houston that nobody knows about. That people in our own city don't know about."
While Houston, officials have taken efforts to address it, such as when officials planned to buildOfficials like Harris County Judge Ed Emmett called the city's problem with strays "outrageous."
From volunteering at a rescue to actually taking an animal, in, there are a myriad of ways to help, Hulebak said. For now, she said her hands are full with the 18 dogs she is caring for through the holiday season. She said anyone interested in fostering or helping rescue dogs can contact her for more information.
"If someone doesn't want to reach out to me , then my suggestion would be to do some research on local rescues with great reviews," Hulebak said. "It's not just fostering, there are so many other things that rescues need like foster coordinators, volunteers, donations. You name it, rescues need it."
