Pet Fostering

Interested in helping a shelter pet by becoming a foster home?  Well, we need your help, but it is important that the program fits you and your family’s lifestyle and abilities.  Saving more shelter pets’ lives is the ultimate purpose.  We use foster homes in multitude of ways to move our pets into a forever, loving and responsible home.  By reading the following information you will be able to match your time and interests to our pets’ needs.

Set (Short) Term Fostering:

Two to three week fostering of puppies and kittens that need time to be fully vaccinated and protected from contagious diseases and then returning them to the shelter for adoption.

One to four week fostering of pets that have a minor medical condition.  We provide the instructions, medications and re-checks.  Once the issue is resolved the pet is returned to the shelter for adoption.

Three week fostering for healthy pets of various ages that will be transported to a shelter that is in need of our wonderful pets to adopt in their community.  These pets are returned to the shelter for the transportation. 

Open Ended Fostering:

The last type of fostering is equally more work and more rewarding. This is when the foster parent brings our pet into their home and keeps the pet until a new loving family is found. This is done through the use of Petfinder, Facebook, off-site adoptions and word of mouth. We help you with getting the word out about your pet and teach you how to interface with potential new homes and follow our specific adoption protocol and policies.

In all cases vaccination, healthcare, spaying and neutering costs are covered by Huntsville Animal Services. 

So, what are your responsibilities for set term and open ended fostering??

·Provide a stable, secure, loving, and responsible home.

·Provide a nutritious diet, plenty of fresh water, a clean, safe, comfortable housing    arrangement, and plenty of exercise.

·Provide socialization and exposure to people, all types of animals, learning steps, different environments that include hearing strange and loud noises, smells, and sights.  One example would be to take the pet to PetSmart for an hour.

·Provide training- leash walking, learning to sit, accept a treat from an extended hand, brushing, bathing, and maybe an adorable trick!

·Assessing your foster pet’s health each day. 

·Provide transportation to the shelter, off-site adoption events and spay/neuter veterinary appointment (if applicable).

I'll put you in contact with one of our Foster Home Coordinators who will send you a few questions to answer and return by email.  Once your application is approved, your coordinator will arrange with you to get your foster pet and be with you through the rest of the process.

Thanks for inquiring about the rewarding adventure of fostering a pet and helping us save lives!

For more information, send an email to Deborah Madaris