Foster a Pet

Become a Superhero for a Pet in Need!
More than 1,500 pets a year are cared for by our foster families.

Please click on the link below to fill out our online Foster Application.

Foster First volunteers provide temporary care for one or more shelter pets in their own homes until the pets are ready for adoption. Often, these pets are too young to be placed in the shelter or have special medical or behavioral needs that require a nurturing home environment. Sometimes, the pets need a break from the noise of the shelter. As a shelter with limited kennel capacity, we rely on the community to help us at times of overcapacity or when dogs or cats need extra time to decompress from their prior circumstances. There’s no better place for pets than a home, even if it’s just for a day, a week, or longer. Whatever it takes.

Foster parents provide a clean, safe, loving environment for these pets and give them a paw up in life. After spending time in foster care, these pets are healthier and happier, which means they are well-prepared for their next journey in a new home. Some foster families fall in love with their charges and adopt – we call them ‘foster successes’ — others help find the perfect matches for these pets with friends or family members; some market them with our guidance or take them to shelter adoption events; many bring them back to the shelter when they are ready for adoption. We provide foster parents with all the tools necessary to transition to their forever homes, wherever they may be.

In 2022, 254 volunteers fostered 1,672 pets, some for just a few days and many for several weeks. As a shelter with few kennels and a large homeless pet population, we can only help save lives with your help. Thank you.

If you’re interested in becoming a foster volunteer, please click on the appropriate links to fill out the application forms:

Please browse our library for tips on how to make your foster experience as pleasant as possible.

Crate training a foster puppy
How to crate train a puppy. Courtesy of World Ready Pets

Shy or fearful foster dogs
Bringing a shy foster dog into your home. Courtesy Maddie’s Fund

House-training foster dogs
How to house-train your foster dog. Courtesy Maddie’s Fund

Introducing foster dogs to others
Introducing a shy dog to strangers. Courtesy Maddie’s Fund

Kitten bottle-feeding
How to bottle feed an orphaned kitten. Courtesy of Maddie’s Fund

Stimulating orphaned kittens
How to stimulate kittens to urinate and defecate. Courtesy of Maddie’s Fund

Bathing orphaned kittens
How to bathe orphaned kittens. Courtesy of Maddie’s Fund

Solid foods for orphaned kittens
How to wean orphaned kittens to solid foods. Courtesy of Maddie’s Fund