We have an amazing community of selfless volunteers and foster parents for our shelter pets in Fayette County. We want to honor them by letting you know who they are and sharing their story. Jamie was top of mind when it was time to write this new series, not that we don't appreciate all of them. Just yesterday as I was driving to the shelter, there she was sitting in the grass gently petting Sasha, an older dog lying in the sunshine. I stopped the car and rolled down the window and she said" She's older and after her walk she loves to lie in the sunshine" She takes the time to connect with each animal, she is so kind and loving and generous of spirit. Here is her story:

My name is Jamie Lusk. I have been an educator for 22 years, and I have been volunteering at local animal shelters for over eight years. Shortly after I began volunteering, I became a foster parent because I saw the tremendous amount of innocent angels that were brought to local shelters.

When I saw the confusion and the fear in their eyes, I knew that I had to step up and provide these lost angels with a sense of support and safety. Fostering allowed me to bring home animals from an overly-crowded shelter so that I could not only help to open room at the animal facility, but I could teach my foster social pack manners, help him gain trust, and show him unconditional love.

Throughout the past eight years, I have fostered over 100 animals, and I am a foster failure to three of them. Fostering is hard. In the beginning, it broke my heart to let them go. But, once I saw pictures of them thriving in their new homes with their new families, my broken heart was replaced with a sense of peace and love. People think that fostering helps to save a helpless animal, but in all reality, these babies are the true saviors.