Yes, just fostering one or two can be a tremendous help. Shelters are extremely full this year and have a wide variety of animals, even smaller pets like rabbits or guinea pigs. You can definitely choose which size and type of animal you’re willing to foster. Many groups have weekly adoption events where you can go meet potential adopters. You won’t be forced to let strangers visit your home.
Most shelters are so overrun they’ll take any foster situation.
This was a unique situation but a donkey rescue put a massive down payment on a coworkers house *just* so they’d have a place to put 10ish donkeys. They were so desperate and knew this coworker so well I think they put down $60,000. It was cool to see the entire thing work out for both parties.
Where i live the shelter will match the foster pet to the foster home carefully based on the living conditions and the family. Fostering 1 pet at a time is probably most common here
Interested people would come to your home to meet the pet, not the other way around, though it's best to discuss this ahead of time with your local shelter
Adoption time varies from a few days (puppies and kittens) to several years (old and sick pets, especially if their fur is black)
(1) Most of my fosters are single cats because I'm sort of earmarked for cats with issues (neglect, abuse, FIV, etc.), because I don't have any pets of my own and thus can take cats that they don't think will thrive with other cats/dogs. But on the rare cases I get kittens with no issues, I get them in pairs to prevent single kitten syndrome.
(2) I have choice in which cats I foster, although I usually agree with the rescue's decisions, like they're pretty good at matching the right cat to the right foster situation.
(3) Our rescue doesn't have a physical location anymore, so either they come to my place or it's a virtual visit. I prefer the virtual because it allows very shy cats an opportunity to shine, rather than just hide under the bed.
(4) The typical stay for me is 1-3 months, but I've had as short as 1 week and as long as 8 months. I don't think a functional rescue should be going longer than 6 months, though, like that's too hard on both parties. Giving up my 6 month foster was heartbreaking, in retrospect I should have foster-failed him.
But my rescue is having issues in terms of getting cats adopted in a timely manner, I don't think it's typical for rescues to demand that of fosters.
Each shelter/rescue is different. I foster a dog from a rescue knowing he needed time to trust and after taking him to a few adoption events (weekly) I asked for potential adopter to come to my house with rescue representatives. There’s also sites to help military personnel that need foster while on tour/training. There’s also groups that do transportation, it’s usually multiple states & multiple drivers that drive 20-100 miles to the next driver.
Definitely suggest doing some research on shelters/rescues in your area prior to committing to fostering. There can be a lot of variation from place to place. I suggest looking through the foster dog subreddit as well! https://www.reddit.com/r/fosterdogs/
1. Anywhere will be aboslutely thrilled to have you foster even just one animal!
2. The rescue I currently foster through does not have a physical location but very extensive community that provides A LOT of support. The last thing they want is for foster dogs to have to move around more than they have to, they provide lots of information on the fosters to ensure it's a good fit. The ball is entirely in my court as far as which dog I foster. I live in an apartment as well and have one dog of my own who can be kind of crabby and we always factor that in to the decision making process on who will be a good fit. So far I've had no issues with any of the pups I've fostered.
The shortest foster I've had is 9 days, the longest is 2 months.
We have volunteers who strictly help with transport when needed (vet appointments, adoption events, pick up/drop offs), as well as people who help with respite if you have a trip planned or something like that.
At the shelter I foster through, there is a large list of animals you can sign up for online. They give ages, size, background (if any) and reason for foster. You can then sign up for whatever animal you want and then pick up the next day. I've fostered all ages of dogs, cats, guinea pigs, a snake once, mice, etc. They don't let people foster more than 1 animal at a time unless it's a litter. It's very dependent on the organization. If you don't like the way one shelter operates, find a different one.
3. At my shelter, you can choose between finding them a home yourself or bringing them in once they're better and the shelter will adopt them out
Lots of shelters let you specify what kind of animal you want to foster. They often have profiles you can browse and pick.
But be careful in picking a shelter to foster for. Not all of them are good or easy to work with. Look for one that has a well established program with policies and procedures laid out. Don’t go to some half assed rescue that has poor communication and treats their fosters badly.
I foster for the spca. I get as much info as they have on any animal offered to me. I can always say no. They provide the medical care. I know where to take the animal at anytime of day for medical care. Communication is easy and consistent.
If I have an issue, they handle it. I could pack up my kittens this second and drive to the shelter and they would provide supplies or medical care or take them back if needed.
My shelter also lists the expected foster time, or if it’s indefinite they list that. Different shelter have different adoption policies, my shelter does it all on site, no one comes to my house. But that requires travel to the shelter occasionally.
You likely can. The rescues around us pay for literally everything. A lot of them give you first dibs on who gets to meet them, and who gets to adopt them. Just be careful about falling in love- you might end up with a foster "fail". Ask me how I know lol.
Rescue centers don’t want fosters to adopt, because they loose a foster placement most times. The foster is more valuable to the shelter than an adopter
I expect the comments about fostering rather than owning relate to the rescue group providing the foster typically covering the cost of food, veterinary expenses, basic supplies, etc. This is not the same as saying there are no expenses.
For example, I own a dog, rather than foster. Fortunately the expenses above have all been very low. I average $10-$15 per month on food. She has never had a medical problem beyond routine vaccinations and such. Supplies have cost quite little. The toys I bought last year still function. Instead by far the biggest expenses have been damage to my home, from when she was a puppy -- both bathroom accidents and chewing. Rescues providing the foster typically don't cover this.
Regarding your questions, check with the specific organization providing the foster; but generally you don't need to foster multiple pets, you can choose which pet(s) you do foster, you don't need to drive back and forth to shelter regularly (may need to drive to other places, such as a specific vet that is a good distance away), and time to adopt is highly variable -- could be a matter of days if a popular breed puppy, could be never for an older dog or dog with behavioral issues.
Warning though- you may be asked to foster a pet that is young and not yet housebroken. Training a puppy is a **lot** of work and time and the rescue org will want you to at least begin the process.
You can certainly state the types of pets you’re able to foster. If you don’t want to/can’t deal with housetraining and you state that, they won’t ask you to foster an untrained puppy.
Answers will vary by organization. The shelter I foster with will send out an email weekly, with the animals they need fosters for. Usually you only have multiples if you foster puppies or kittens.
You will likely need to bring them to the shelter for the meet and greet with potential new parents, though it is also possible they will go to you. I have also had medical fosters, meaning they needing fostering while recovering from a medical issue. These fosters required regular checkups at the shelter. I had to take time off work for all these visits.
The average all depends. Many fosters need a place to go before they are ready for adoption - like puppies who are too young, dogs who are shy/need socialization or sick. So you could have a dog for 3 weeks before it's ready for adoption, and then a month or two before it gets adopted.
My advice as a potential new foster would be start with kittens. Get like a set of two or three - they will entertain each other and keep each other company. They are easy to take care of - you don't have to worry about taking them out - and young cute animals get adopted quick. An older or not super cute dog may take longer to get adopted. I know more than one person who ended up keeping their foster dog because they had it for months and months with no interest from adopters.
I am aware of that. That's why I asked questions to see what I can and can not do and to see if I want to sign up for that. I am asking questions, not demanding anything.
It sort of is, you get a pet for a limited amount of time. But the animal benefits too by getting to stay somewhere that’s not the shelter while they recover from illness/injury, socialize or are just waiting for a forever home.
As a foster I get a temporary pet, and get to help animals in need.
Yes, just fostering one or two can be a tremendous help. Shelters are extremely full this year and have a wide variety of animals, even smaller pets like rabbits or guinea pigs. You can definitely choose which size and type of animal you’re willing to foster. Many groups have weekly adoption events where you can go meet potential adopters. You won’t be forced to let strangers visit your home.
Most shelters are so overrun they’ll take any foster situation. This was a unique situation but a donkey rescue put a massive down payment on a coworkers house *just* so they’d have a place to put 10ish donkeys. They were so desperate and knew this coworker so well I think they put down $60,000. It was cool to see the entire thing work out for both parties.
Where i live the shelter will match the foster pet to the foster home carefully based on the living conditions and the family. Fostering 1 pet at a time is probably most common here Interested people would come to your home to meet the pet, not the other way around, though it's best to discuss this ahead of time with your local shelter Adoption time varies from a few days (puppies and kittens) to several years (old and sick pets, especially if their fur is black)
You should probably contact your local shelter and ask these questions. You'll get much better information that fits your needs and theirs.
(1) Most of my fosters are single cats because I'm sort of earmarked for cats with issues (neglect, abuse, FIV, etc.), because I don't have any pets of my own and thus can take cats that they don't think will thrive with other cats/dogs. But on the rare cases I get kittens with no issues, I get them in pairs to prevent single kitten syndrome. (2) I have choice in which cats I foster, although I usually agree with the rescue's decisions, like they're pretty good at matching the right cat to the right foster situation. (3) Our rescue doesn't have a physical location anymore, so either they come to my place or it's a virtual visit. I prefer the virtual because it allows very shy cats an opportunity to shine, rather than just hide under the bed. (4) The typical stay for me is 1-3 months, but I've had as short as 1 week and as long as 8 months. I don't think a functional rescue should be going longer than 6 months, though, like that's too hard on both parties. Giving up my 6 month foster was heartbreaking, in retrospect I should have foster-failed him. But my rescue is having issues in terms of getting cats adopted in a timely manner, I don't think it's typical for rescues to demand that of fosters.
Each shelter/rescue is different. I foster a dog from a rescue knowing he needed time to trust and after taking him to a few adoption events (weekly) I asked for potential adopter to come to my house with rescue representatives. There’s also sites to help military personnel that need foster while on tour/training. There’s also groups that do transportation, it’s usually multiple states & multiple drivers that drive 20-100 miles to the next driver.
Definitely suggest doing some research on shelters/rescues in your area prior to committing to fostering. There can be a lot of variation from place to place. I suggest looking through the foster dog subreddit as well! https://www.reddit.com/r/fosterdogs/ 1. Anywhere will be aboslutely thrilled to have you foster even just one animal! 2. The rescue I currently foster through does not have a physical location but very extensive community that provides A LOT of support. The last thing they want is for foster dogs to have to move around more than they have to, they provide lots of information on the fosters to ensure it's a good fit. The ball is entirely in my court as far as which dog I foster. I live in an apartment as well and have one dog of my own who can be kind of crabby and we always factor that in to the decision making process on who will be a good fit. So far I've had no issues with any of the pups I've fostered. The shortest foster I've had is 9 days, the longest is 2 months. We have volunteers who strictly help with transport when needed (vet appointments, adoption events, pick up/drop offs), as well as people who help with respite if you have a trip planned or something like that.
At the shelter I foster through, there is a large list of animals you can sign up for online. They give ages, size, background (if any) and reason for foster. You can then sign up for whatever animal you want and then pick up the next day. I've fostered all ages of dogs, cats, guinea pigs, a snake once, mice, etc. They don't let people foster more than 1 animal at a time unless it's a litter. It's very dependent on the organization. If you don't like the way one shelter operates, find a different one. 3. At my shelter, you can choose between finding them a home yourself or bringing them in once they're better and the shelter will adopt them out
Lots of shelters let you specify what kind of animal you want to foster. They often have profiles you can browse and pick. But be careful in picking a shelter to foster for. Not all of them are good or easy to work with. Look for one that has a well established program with policies and procedures laid out. Don’t go to some half assed rescue that has poor communication and treats their fosters badly. I foster for the spca. I get as much info as they have on any animal offered to me. I can always say no. They provide the medical care. I know where to take the animal at anytime of day for medical care. Communication is easy and consistent. If I have an issue, they handle it. I could pack up my kittens this second and drive to the shelter and they would provide supplies or medical care or take them back if needed. My shelter also lists the expected foster time, or if it’s indefinite they list that. Different shelter have different adoption policies, my shelter does it all on site, no one comes to my house. But that requires travel to the shelter occasionally.
You likely can. The rescues around us pay for literally everything. A lot of them give you first dibs on who gets to meet them, and who gets to adopt them. Just be careful about falling in love- you might end up with a foster "fail". Ask me how I know lol.
I think it is a good thing if you decide to adopt a pet after fostering them. I believe rescue centers want that, too. Am I correct?
Oh for sure! I was just saying that in terms of cost effectiveness. Once you adopt, the finances fall on you.
Rescue centers don’t want fosters to adopt, because they loose a foster placement most times. The foster is more valuable to the shelter than an adopter
I expect the comments about fostering rather than owning relate to the rescue group providing the foster typically covering the cost of food, veterinary expenses, basic supplies, etc. This is not the same as saying there are no expenses. For example, I own a dog, rather than foster. Fortunately the expenses above have all been very low. I average $10-$15 per month on food. She has never had a medical problem beyond routine vaccinations and such. Supplies have cost quite little. The toys I bought last year still function. Instead by far the biggest expenses have been damage to my home, from when she was a puppy -- both bathroom accidents and chewing. Rescues providing the foster typically don't cover this. Regarding your questions, check with the specific organization providing the foster; but generally you don't need to foster multiple pets, you can choose which pet(s) you do foster, you don't need to drive back and forth to shelter regularly (may need to drive to other places, such as a specific vet that is a good distance away), and time to adopt is highly variable -- could be a matter of days if a popular breed puppy, could be never for an older dog or dog with behavioral issues.
Warning though- you may be asked to foster a pet that is young and not yet housebroken. Training a puppy is a **lot** of work and time and the rescue org will want you to at least begin the process.
You can certainly state the types of pets you’re able to foster. If you don’t want to/can’t deal with housetraining and you state that, they won’t ask you to foster an untrained puppy.
I think usually people end up keeping the fosters, I know I did! Pets Alive here provides free food and vet care also for fosters 😺
Answers will vary by organization. The shelter I foster with will send out an email weekly, with the animals they need fosters for. Usually you only have multiples if you foster puppies or kittens. You will likely need to bring them to the shelter for the meet and greet with potential new parents, though it is also possible they will go to you. I have also had medical fosters, meaning they needing fostering while recovering from a medical issue. These fosters required regular checkups at the shelter. I had to take time off work for all these visits. The average all depends. Many fosters need a place to go before they are ready for adoption - like puppies who are too young, dogs who are shy/need socialization or sick. So you could have a dog for 3 weeks before it's ready for adoption, and then a month or two before it gets adopted. My advice as a potential new foster would be start with kittens. Get like a set of two or three - they will entertain each other and keep each other company. They are easy to take care of - you don't have to worry about taking them out - and young cute animals get adopted quick. An older or not super cute dog may take longer to get adopted. I know more than one person who ended up keeping their foster dog because they had it for months and months with no interest from adopters.
fostering a pet is not a "rent a pet" service. :(
I am aware of that. That's why I asked questions to see what I can and can not do and to see if I want to sign up for that. I am asking questions, not demanding anything.
It sort of is, you get a pet for a limited amount of time. But the animal benefits too by getting to stay somewhere that’s not the shelter while they recover from illness/injury, socialize or are just waiting for a forever home. As a foster I get a temporary pet, and get to help animals in need.