Foster
Help us save them.Rescue Round Up! Foster Fair! - Saturday, July 9
Join our friends at Garland Animal Services to learn all about fostering! Learn more →Sometimes the local shelter is full. Sometimes a cat has medical needs. Sometimes a pet needs socialization. This is where our fosters make all the difference.
Our fosters provide a safe and loving home where cats and dogs can be cared for until they are able to be placed for adoption. Without our foster program, many of these pets might not get the medical treatment they need. Even worse, some may face euthanasia if the shelter becomes overcrowded.
Fostering is a labor of love. You take these pets into your home and treat them as your own until they are ready to be adopted out. You provide them a safe place where they can relax and learn to trust again. Friends of Rescue Animals makes sure that all dogs and cats are in the program get the medical care they need. The pets that go through our foster program get fully vetted, immunized, sterilized and microchipped before they will be placed for adoption.
When you become a foster, you have a say in which dog or cat you will work with based upon your unique situation. For example, do you have space available to quarantine a sick dog or cat? Do you stay at home and have time to bottle feed kittens or puppies every two hours? Do you have a special place in your heart for the older pets who aren’t very active, or do you enjoy the crazy kitten or puppy shenanigans of the 8-12 week old crowd? Are you able to foster pets needing long term care or do you prefer to only help with short term placements? Either is fine and both are needed.
When our foster pets are ready to find their forever families, we market them and partner with PetSmart (for cats) to provide them opportunities to be adopted. By this time, our fosters know a lot about each animal’s personality. So, we can communicate that information to potential adopters. This can be a huge help in ensuring that the pet and adoptive family are a good fit. Observations such as, “This dog loves chew toys” or “This cat doesn’t enjoy being around small dogs….” or “This cat likes to sleep on your head…” or “This dog doesn’t like to have its tail touched…” can be just the thing that helps an adopter decide that they are making the right choice.
If you love pets and have room for 4 more paws in your home, then consider being a foster. The need is great, and the rewards are huge.
What to expect as a Foster Parent
Providing foster care will certainly be a rewarding experience as you are enabling the animal to go on to the greatest adventure – a place where he/she will be cherished and loved until a great forever home is found.
Requirements
- To be a successful foster parent, you will need a compassionate nature, flexibility, willingness to follow instructions, and interest and/or knowledge of animal behavior.
- Frequent email updates are required, and responsiveness to our team is critical to the success of our foster program. Reliable computer, internet service, and transportation are needed.
- A fenced yard is preferred, but not necessary for dog foster parents. Cat/kitten fosters are indoor only.
Responsibilities
- Responsible for the daily care of a foster animal, including feeding, exercising, playtime, socialization, grooming, reinforcing basic obedience commands and, of course, providing patience, love, and security.
- Must be willing to work with the pet to help them get ready for adoption. This may include housebreaking, basic training, socialization, etc.
- You may also need to transport the foster animal to scheduled medical appointments and/or adoption events and photoshoots; as well as administer any required medications.
FRAs will provide all necessary medical care and our Foster Teams will provide full support throughout the foster period. Any additional expenses incurred by the foster parent may be tax-deductible.
Ready to foster?
Fill out the form below to begin fostering for FRAs!
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Other ways to help
Volunteer
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