Animal Care Services

WHY FOSTER

Fostering saves lives. Whether you volunteer to care for a litter of unweaned orphaned kittens or give a dog a break from the stress of the kennel, you are making a difference in an animal's life. Fostering fills a critical gap. Unweaned orphaned kittens and animals needing medical support require more attention than can be provided in the shelter environment. We especially need fosters for bottle-feeding, ring-wormed kittens, and medium to large long-stay dogs. We provide all the supplies and support you’ll need to foster a pet while you provide a temporary, safe, and loving home. The foster coordinator will match you with foster candidates that fit your experience, availability, and lifestyle.

If you can't foster but still want to support our program, consider donating an item from our wish list.

DOGS, CATS & POCKET PETS

• What are the requirements?

  Fosters must be willing and able to follow all rules and guidelines provided in the foster agreement. This includes but is not limited to attending adoption events and meet-and-greets, responding to communications thoroughly and promptly, and being available to transport the pet to off site medical appointments if the need arises.

• Is there a time commitment?

  Dogs: We need fosters who can make a minimum two-week commitment. Foster's aid in the important work of helping a dog decompress from the daily stressors that come with living in a shelter environment. Prepare to provide boundaries and structure for a dog needing space and time to find its center. To do this, a person doesn’t need to be a highly experienced dog handler. Each foster will be coached and given the support and guidance needed for this to be a rewarding experience.

  Please note: Not all dogs are eligible for the foster program. The foster coordinator will match each person with foster candidates that fit their experience, availability, and lifestyle.
  

  Adult cats: Some cats are frightened or sick and may need one or two weeks in a foster home to heal and feel safe. Other cats with a tough time living in a kennel may require a foster parent to keep them until they find an adoptive family.
  
  Kittens: Kittens often need to stay in foster homes until they are six weeks old. We provide the food, supplies, and training needed for unweaned kittens.

• Can I adopt my foster pet?

  Absolutely. Once a foster makes that decision, we'll need to know their intentions. Until the adoption is finalized, the animal will continue to be presented to the public as adoptable.

• Is there 24/7 support?

  Yes, we have an emergency hotline available to foster parents twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

• I have pets at home. Can I still foster?

  Yes, however, we ask that fosters be prepared to keep all home pets and the foster pet separate. Properly integrating a new pet into the home is a process that can take several weeks, or even months. It’s an incremental process that takes longer than most temp-fosters will have the animal in their home. Even “dog or cat-friendly” animals need ample time to adjust to a new pack member and have been known to lash out when encroached upon.

• How do animals get adopted when they are in foster homes?​

  Getting the animal adopted becomes a joint effort once they go into the foster home. We expect our fosters to attend at least one monthly off-site adoption event. We also need fosters to send us photos or videos to post on social media and the website. If a prospective adopter reaches out, we will reach out to the foster and arrange a meet-and-greet.

• Do We Supply Medical Care, Food And Supplies?

  Yes, we provide everything the foster pet will need. This includes things like food, bowls, bedding, toys, crates, litter, litter pans, etc. Medical care will typically be arranged at one of the off site clinics we partner with.