Fostering Saves Lives

June is National Foster a Pet Month. Pet rescues of all types are seeking foster volunteers to care for an ever-growing number of surrendered pets. For those considering getting another pet or wondering what it would be like to have an exotic pet, fostering is a great opportunity to learn and make a difference.

Most rescues provide foster volunteers with all the food and supplies they need to care for the animal. They also cover the cost of veterinary care. This enables foster volunteers to “try out pet parenting without the financial burden,” says Cameron Donegan, development director for Peace of Mind Dog Rescue in Pacific Grove, CA.

Foster volunteers help pets acclimate to a home environment and become more adoptable. Fostering provides temporary housing for an animal until a permanent adoptive home can be found. Whether fostering a dog, cat, bird, reptile, or other pet, the goals are the same - provide proper care, help them adapt to being handled, provide medication if needed, and assess their temperament to better match them with a suitable adopter. The length of time an animal stays in foster care can vary from only a few days to several months.

There are rescues for every type of pet. Wild Exotic Animal Refuge (WEAR) in Lakehurst, NJ started their foster program nearly a year ago because they were receiving more surrender requests than their facility could house. Adding a foster program enabled them to save more animals. They now have ten foster volunteers caring for about 50 different animals, mostly reptiles, explains Brittany Vanderstine, WEAR’s founder and director. “When you foster, you are playing it safe. You are learning in a more responsible way what it would be like to care for a reptile . . . without contributing to the exotic pet trade.”

A Refuge for Saving the Wildlife in Northbrook, Ill also uses foster volunteers. According to Richard Weiner, their founder and executive director, they have 61 birds in their care. “Forty-seven of those birds are on medication.” Having a bird, he says “is not for the faint of heart. It’s not for everybody.” “Fostering is actual work,” Vanderstine says. “It’s a responsibility. You might have to keep up with medications or take an animal to the vet.”

Ideal Foster Volunteers

Although rescues differ in the species they try to save, they are all looking for the same type of foster volunteer. “We are looking for anyone with a safe home environment,” says Carie Broecker, executive director of Peace of Mind Dog Rescue. That home, Donegan says, should be “a loving home with someone who will treat the dog as a family member.” Weiner looks for “someone who has the time to commit to taking care of the [animal].” In foster parents, Alexi Smith, community impact and development director for Pet Pantry of Lancaster County in Lancaster, PA, looks for “somebody who has patience and wants to learn.”

It doesn’t always matter if the foster volunteer has any experience with that particular type of pet. “We have had many foster [volunteers] over the years for whom this was their first dog,” Broecker says. “If someone isn’t knowledgeable, we’ll work with them,” Vanderstine says. Foster volunteers for WEAR receive a manual and care instructions for the reptile they’re fostering and have 24/7 access to Vanderstine or WEAR board members should questions or problems arise. Most rescues provide similar support and training to foster volunteers.

Regardless of the type of pet being rescued, Donegan tells all foster volunteers to appreciate the 3:3:3 Rule, which is that “it takes three days for the pet to decompress, three weeks for them to learn the new routine, and three months for them to come out of their shell and show their full personality.” Foster volunteers should expect that the pet may not be affectionate initially. “We try to teach our foster [volunteers] to give the dog space and let them come to you,” Broecker says. This is good advice no matter what animal is being fostered.

Other Pets and Children

Foster volunteers can have other pets and children in the home as long as adults are responsible for the fostered animal and existing pets are okay with having another pet. Pet Pantry of Lancaster County has quite a few foster families with children that foster dogs. “They help the dogs adapt to children,” Smith says. Renters can also be foster volunteers if their landlord allows pets.

In some cases, the dream foster volunteer is someone who lives alone and has no other pets or children. It’s even better if the volunteer works from home. Such foster volunteers, or Unicorn Fosters, are desperately needed for dogs who aren’t good with cats, other dogs, or children, or who have separation anxiety.

Many rescues let foster volunteers help screen adoption applicants. Having a hand in finding a good home for the pet can make it a little easier to say goodbye when the pet gets adopted.

“Even though it is very hard to say goodbye,” Smith says, “it’s also so rewarding.” The feeling of satisfaction volunteers get from nurturing an animal to the point where they can be adopted “is beyond words.”

Fostering With Limited Space and Time

Fostering an animal doesn’t require a fenced yard, a big house, or even an unknown amount of time. The Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) in Philadelphia, PA has a Fast Fostering program in which volunteers foster an animal for only a week or two. “That can also be watching an animal for a weekend while the foster volunteer is away,” says Ashley Matters, their senior adoption and foster coordinator. PAWS also offers Safety Net Fostering. “This is for people in need who want to keep their animal but have to go into the hospital or who are looking for housing,” she says. Safety Net Fostering usually lasts no longer than three months.

Some animals can even be fostered in a bathroom, which Matters says is “better than their living in a cage.” PAWS hopes to place 300 more animals in foster care this summer during their Everyday Heroes Foster Challenge.

Foster To Adopt

Rescues evaluate foster applicants carefully to pair them with a pet that matches their preferences, skills, lifestyle, and home environment. Sometimes, that means the perfect pet lands in the foster volunteer’s home and the volunteer falls in love. That’s what happened to Ellen Hurst and her husband shortly after they bought a new home. They decided to foster because they wanted to help homeless dogs but weren’t sure if they were ready to adopt.

After the rescue interviewed them, they were matched with Mable, an eight-year-old, female, beagle/dachshund mix. The Hursts were instantly smitten and adopted Mable. Asked when they realized she was the one for them, Hurst says, “We knew on night one.” Even though their foster immediately turned into an adoption, Hurst recommends fostering, saying “It’s a really great thing to do.” She and her husband are working with the same rescue to find another dog to adopt later this summer.

Fostering saves lives and is a great way to learn more about pets without making a lifetime or financial commitment. Those interested in fostering a pet are encouraged to visit the websites of shelters and rescues in their area to learn more and apply.