Foster care
Fostering saves lives!
Although we strive to provide a stress-free, healthy environment for animals in our care, the reality is that pets do best in a home. Some shelter pets are lucky enough to find a new family soon after they arrive, but others may wait many months before they find a home. The longer they wait, the more likely they are to suffer from behavioral or medical issues, which becomes yet another barrier to finding a family. Time spent in a home setting, even temporarily, helps us understand and convey to potential adopters what a pet is really like outside of the inherent stress of the shelter. Bringing a shelter pet into your home allows them to decompress and, especially in the case of young kittens, significantly lowers the chance of exposure to infectious disease. Additionally, fostering allows the shelter to expand our capacity by freeing up space and other resources.
We invite you to help animals in your community by choosing your foster adventure. Foster opportunities generally fall into three categories: long-term foster, field trip/sleepover foster or kitten foster.
Long-term fostering
Generally, "long-term" foster families take shelter pets into their homes until they are adopted of ready for adoption. Generally, "long-term" foster families take shelter pets into their homes until they are adopted or ready for adoption. Don't let the title deter you- we are happy with any length of time you can commit to help a pet in need. This is a great fit for those who have behavioral expertise or those who would like to help nurse an injured or sick animal back to health. Long-term fostering is not limited to pets with special needs. We are happy to give any pet a chance to be with a foster family so that they can live in a home environment and gain an advocate in the community who can help them find forever homes!
Field trip or sleepovers
If you just need some doggo time in your life, foster field trips are a great way to brighten a shelter dog's day (or night). This is also a great idea if you are considering adopting but aren't quite sure how a canine companion might fit into your current routine. Simply come on down, pick a pooch and head out on an adventure with your new friend. Take a hike, go to the beach, stroll downtown or invite a shelter dog overnight for a sleepover in your home. You will have a great time while giving a dog a break from shelter life. Tag us on social media and we can show potential adoptive families just how great shelter pups are!
Kitten program
Under aged (too young for adoption) kittens represent our largest and most vulnerable population. In addition to requiring special care, kittens too young to ensure the protection afforded by vaccinations are at very high risk for exposure to infectious disease. You are welcome to select kittens best suited to you, ranging from newborn kittens to playful self-feeders who may just need a week or two of TLC.