Foster Care
About the Program
The Foster Care Program places orphaned, pregnant, newborn, injured, sick, and under-socialized animals into private homes for temporary housing. We provide our foster caregivers with all the support and needed resources (food, blankets, carriers, toys, litter box, etc.) until the animals are recovered or old enough to be adopted. The Foster parent is responsible for maintaining communication about the progress of their critters and making sure they are brought in for routine vaccines and treatments. A Foster parent may also be asked to administer medications and special diets during their foster period. When ready, the animals then return to the shelter to begin their search for a forever home.
A Mutually Beneficial Relationship
Foster Care is particularly important for special needs animals. Puppies and kittens too young to be adopted; young animals in need of socialization; animals recovering from surgery or illness - all can benefit from foster care.
Fostering will give you new insights and awareness of animal behavior. If children are involved (supervised of course), it teaches them compassion and responsibility. Just as important, you'll have the knowledge that you have impacted the life and likelihood of the adoption of a companion animal. Your support can make a tremendous difference in the lives of these animals!
The Perfect Match
Our Foster Care Coordinators will carefully match the animal(s) to the foster care provider using the following information:
- Experience of foster care provider;
- Type of animal in need;
- Amount of care needed;
- Time of commitment;
- Facilities available in foster care home;
- Composition of family of caregiver, human and non-human.
If you are interested in our cat/kitten Foster Care Program please contact our Feline Supervisor at (802) 862-0135 ext. 27. For our dog/puppy Foster Care Program please contact our Canine Supervisor at ext. 17.