Become a foster parent
You can do great things as a foster parent. This special program provides shelter animals with special individualized care outside of the shelter environment. You will be supporting the animals that need it most. Whether providing a comfortable and isolated place for pregnant animals, feeding orphaned kittens every four hours, or offering a safe and quiet home for animals recovering from abuse, injury or illness - this is a truly varied position with many animals that will require your empathy.

Your Work Location:
You will be working within your own home.

Your Mission:
To assist us in providing temporary care for animals with special needs, in an atmosphere of safety and security, and to prepare animals for adoption.

Your Responsibilities:
You will be supporting the animals that need it most, literally. Whether providing a comfortable, isolated place for pregnant animals or feeding orphaned kittens every four hours you will be contributing to the health and well being of many animals. Though all food, supplies and medical care are provided by us, the time, commitment, benevolence and understanding will be up to you. In the rare circumstance that you encounter a medical emergency you would need to be able to take the animal to the vet yourself. You will not be caring for healthy, adoptable animals but rather pregnant or young animals is a more common scenario, this is a truly varied position with many animals that will require your empathy. You will be a crucial person to our work. Being both present to witness the moment of life and later caring to sustain it, you will work at the very core of our goal to save animals' lives. Your compassion for animals is a gift that in foster care work you are both admired and revered for by people and animals.

Skills and Qualifications:
Mainly, you need to have the time to care for animals with elevated needs. You will require unconditional patience and a powerful love for animals. As well, it is essential you have an isolated location in the house, and a vehicle. If working with dogs, a securely fenced yard is mandatory. You will have to be dependable and able to commit to ongoing and pre-scheduled care while fostering animals. Important is your ability and comfort in caring for ill or severely injured animals. If you have animals currently living at your residence all of your animals must be current on their vaccinations as well as being spayed or neutered. A preliminary home visit will be made to your residence prior to acquiring any animals to ensure that the animals' specific needs can be met. All applicants must be a minimum of 18 years of age.

Time Commitment:
One week to two months, depending on the needs of the foster animal. On rare occasions, an animal may require a longer term commitment.

What's Next:
Once we've received your application our foster program coordinator will contact you to set up a time to meet with you and do a home inspection and interview. She will suggest the cat or dog that is most in need for foster care and that is appropriate for your living environment and lifestyle. Please keep in mind that pets from ages eight weeks to six months are not usually the best candidates for fostering. If a kitten or puppy is fostered at this age and returned once it is fully-grown, he or she may have missed a chance for a permanent home.

To become a foster parent fill out a Foster Parent Application at our Centre or download the form below. You can also learn more about the responsibilities and demands of fostering by clicking on the links below.

Foster Parent Application | Nursing kittens and puppy orphans | Caring for your foster cat | Caring for your foster dog |