Do you want the love of an animal, currently have the time, and the space to care for a pet…
But you’re not in a position to adopt?
If you can’t commit for 15+ years, don’t have the finances to support a pet, or you’re not sure that you can commit to all that pet ownership entails?
Fostering might be the perfect solution for you!

Pet shelters have a limited capacity, both in space and in manpower. By fostering pets in your home, you’ll be helping save lives. You’ll also get financial support from the shelter (usually all costs are covered) and (often) classes, access to pet behaviorists, and other training for foster volunteers.

As a foster carer, you’ll be helping train and prepare pets for adoption in their new forever homes.

Kittens and puppies are often fostered until they’re old enough to adopt out, because they’re vulnerable to disease in a shelter. They require tons of effort and time. Once they’re vaccinated, they’re usually adopted quite quickly. You’ll be taking care of them for around 10 weeks (2-3 months).

Adult cats and dogs take less time and work, but the ones that most benefit from foster care are the ones that have the most complex issues. They might be nervous, come from abusive homes, clash with other animals at the shelter, or have behavioral or health problems that make them difficult to care for. You’ll be helping them come out of their shell and training them for their new homes. Commitment time varies wildly.

Hospice cases and elderly pets need more care, but are usually calmer already trained. This type of foster care can be even more emotionally demanding, as the goal with these pets isn’t to have them adopted, but to provide them with quality of life before they pass away. You will be changing a pet’s life, and providing them with love and comfort unlike any they’ve felt before. Commitment time varies, and usually lasts until the pet passes.

Working dog fosters are usually done through training institutions. This may include housing the pets during their training period or assisting in the training yourself. For pets who don’t complete their training, or who are retiring, fostering them will usually be during a transitional period before they get adopted. If you’re fostering dogs in training, the foster will usually last as long as their training (varies per institution, but is usually up to 6 months). If you’re fostering during the adoption process, this lasts until they find their forever home – usually not long, as these pets are highly sought after.

• Foster animals are only with you only until they find their forever home,
• Foster pets will require a lot of time, patience, and effort,
• Fostering usually has more stringent requirements than adopting,
• You’re going to prepare the pets for their new homes with love and training,
• The organization you’re working with will support you in many ways.

Fostering is hard work, but it is extremely rewarding. You’ll be giving a pet all the love they need, and preparing them for their forever home.

This isn’t uncommon! Adopting your own foster is referred to as a “foster fail”, and most institutions will support you through the process. However, if you started fostering because you couldn’t make the commitment to adopt, you need to ensure that adopting a pet is the right choice for you and for them, before committing.

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