FOSTER PROGRAM
About our foster program: PAWS places animals in foster care to receive additional medical treatment, time away from the shelter, or a comfortable and loving place to grow up until they can be adopted. Our foster families provide a safe, temporary home for rescued pets to rest, recuperate and prepare to meet their forever families. The animals in foster care benefit greatly from love and attention and living in a home environment; for some rescued pets it may be their first time living in a home. From newborn kittens and puppies to senior and special needs animals, we have a foster animal for everyone!
​
How to become a foster: So you're ready to foster an animal! First of all we'd like you to fill out the foster application linked below. After we have processed this we will be in touch to finalize the last bit of paperwork and match you to an animal. We don't always have animals ready to go to foster immediately so you may be placed on a list and called when a suitable match arrives.
Foster FAQs
Who needs fostering?
So many different kinds of animals at PAWS are in need of foster homes. Fosters can take place anywhere from a few days or many months depending on the animal.
The following list details the types of fosters we frequently have at PAWS:
-
Pregnant or nursing mothers and kittens: Kittens are especially susceptible to disease and grow up best in a safe, loving home where they can be socialized to humans and other animals.
-
Animals in need of medical care: Some animals need time to recover from a surgical procedure or heal from an injury and do that best outside of the stressful shelter environment. These animals may require medications, but training will be provided on how to administer them.
-
Adult dogs: Some adult dogs come to PAWS and do not adjust well to shelter life. The stress of being in a kennel surrounded by other dogs can be too much and this is where you come in! A foster family can provide a dog with a much needed vacation from the shelter life and maybe even introduce the dog to a whole new group of people they otherwise would not have met.
-
Fospice Foster (cats and dogs): Some animals come to the shelter in the last stages of their lives and just need a loving place to live out their days. These types of foster placement can last for only a few days to a few months.
-
Puppies: PAWS frequently transports litters of puppies up from high-kill shelters in the South. Before the puppies can be adopted they must be quarantined for a 6 day period. Foster homes for these puppies can help them adjust and avoids the need for them to be kenneled during the quarantine. These fosters typically last 6-14 days.
What about the cost?
PAWS provides all the necessary food, medications and veterinary care for all of our foster animals at no cost to you.
How long does a foster last?
This is entirely dependent on which animal you are fostering. We are very flexible and can work with you to find an animal and a timeline that works for everyone. Some fosters may only last a few days while others can last several months.