The Friends depend on many volunteers to help care for the animals that come through our doors each year. One of the most honored volunteer roles is becoming a foster parent for our companion animals. These parents are our satellite heroes. Foster families provide temporary animal housing for a number of reasons: some animals need extra attention because they are very young; others need to learn human interaction skills; and, in some cases, we are simply overflowing at our facility.

How does fostering help the shelter?

It provides safe, loving homes for temporary care of animals who can be successfully adopted, but are not yet ready to move into the adoption process. Many times, young kittens or puppies are just too small for adoption. Other times a scared dog or cat who was stray or abandoned needs to learn to trust humans again before finding their forever homes. Finally, foster homes allow us to care for many more animals than our limited structure would allow each year, giving us the chance to save more animals.

Who can become a Foster Parent?

The Friends welcome all volunteers who want to open their home to help foster animals. All types and sizes of homes and family circumstances are needed. Sometimes it is important that there are other animals in the home, sometimes it is important that there are not. Many of our foster families have children, many do not. Each situation is examined uniquely and matched according to the best opportunity for success.

In addition to helping homeless animals, this is a great avenue for your family to determine if one day you and your family want to adopt into your home.

How can you become a Foster Parent?

Consider if you or your family is interested in helping animals by providing temporary loving shelter for them and helping them move on to succeed as companion animals in their forever homes.

Complete our foster application and a brief screening with shelter staff. Animals are placed with successful foster applicants according to their individual requirements and shelter capacity. Some foster situations last only days, others may span several months. It varies for each situation and animal need. All aspects are discussed carefully with you before placement.

The shelter assumes responsibility for the foster animal’s medical care and food. The foster family provides encouragement, guidance, and love.

Complete this application today to start the process of becoming a foster parent, Foster Volunteer Application.

Or download and complete this PDF version of our foster volunteer application. Once you have filled out the application, submit it via: