WHY FOSTER?
Fostering is a great opportunity for those who love animals and enjoy caring for them. Fostering is also one of the greatest needs of local rescue groups and animal shelters. Many are running out of space to house their animals and are in desperate need of foster homes. Read below to find out more about how you can make a difference in an animal's life and start fostering today!
Benefits of Fostering
Although fostering is about helping homeless animals, it can provide foster parents with many benefits as well. Here are some personal benefits that many gain through fostering:
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An enjoyable/fun experience spending time with animals
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It is rewarding/fulfilling knowing how you impacted the life of an animal and guided them to find a forever home
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Foster pets can keep you company and entertained
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If it is too difficult for you to choose just one pet to adopt, fostering allows you to care for a variety of different animals
Important things to consider when deciding whether or not to foster:
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It is a time commitment - the length of time that animals need to be in foster homes varies so you may have to adjust your schedule according to how long an animal needs to stay
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Special training may be required for fostering certain types of animals - puppies, kittens, animals in need of medical assistance, or animals with behavioral problems all come with different challenges and you may need instruction on how to deal with them
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Fostering animals with behavioral problems or basic training - some animals may need to be housetrained or have bad habits that need to be gotten rid of (like jumping on/barking at strangers, chewing, or getting on furniture)
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Fostering animals with medical problems - animals who are recovering from illness or disease may need to be given medication or bathed at certain times of the day or separated from other pets if they are still contagious
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Financial commitment - although most shelters cover the vet and medical costs (as well as necessities like crates, collars, ID tags, food dishes, and other supplies if requested), there may be some costs that you must cover yourself, so it is important to discuss these with the rescue group/shelter which you hope to work with
Why do local rescue groups and animal shelters need fostering and how does it help them?
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Local rescue groups and animal shelters only have limited space and can only accept a certain number of homeless animals; fostering allows them to move the animals to an alternate location and create space for more homeless animals
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Few rescue groups have actual shelters or sanctuaries, so they rely on foster homes to temporarily house the animals
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Because fostering allows for more space, it means that less animals have to be euthanized due to overcrowding issues
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Some animals need extra time before they are ready to be adopted and the rescue group/shelter may need more time to find out more about the animal to make sure that they find the right home suited to their needs
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Some animals need to socialize with other people or pets and get used to a home envirnonment before they can be adopted
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Some animals are too young to be adopted and need time outside of the shelter to reach the right age
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Pets that recently had surgery or were sick or injured need a safe place to recover
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Pets dealing with stress may need a calmer environment; it is typically much healthier and less stressful for a pet to be living in a foster home
Virtually all rescue groups are in need of new foster homes. If you are interested in fostering, please visit the Local Rescue Group Directory or Breed-specific Rescue Group Directory to contact a local rescue organization of your choice.