PAWS Foster Program
Foster volunteers play a critical role at our shelter and in our community.
Foster volunteers play a critical role at our shelter and in our community. Fostering saves animals from unnecessary hardship of the daily stress of shelter environment. While fostering requires time and patience, the rewards are immeasurable. Foster volunteer will have the joy of knowing they have helped or saved an animal’s life while freeing up resources within the shelter to help other homeless animals. Watching your foster animal blossom in your care, so that they can find their forever home, is an amazing experience.
All our animals receive a health check, vaccinations and a behavior evaluation before going to their foster home. We also do our best to determine their level of compatibility with other animals. If foster volunteer has other animals in the household, we may require a meet and greet to ensure the animals are compatible and safe, before sending the animal to the foster home.
In order to foster for PAWS, you must have completed the required documents, be over the age of 18, and have taken the dog handling class. Households with children under the age of 18 are welcome, but the primary caregiver for the animal needs to be over 18. In addition, you must have transportation that allows the animal in the vehicles.
Our foster program typically includes the following types of animals:
- Dogs and cats with litters
- Litters that require to be bottle fed
- Sick or injured animals that need a quiet place to recover
- Young animals that need extra training and structure
- Animals that require special medical needs
- Abandoned animals that are too young to be adopted
- Long term shelter animals in need of time away from the stress of the shelter
- Senior animals that will be more comfortable in a home environment
- Terminal animals in need of hospice care
Our foster volunteers provide exercise socialization, basic training and lots of love. We provide a bed, collar or leash and the food, that is specific to that animal. PAWS provide preauthorized medical vet care, professional training support if needed, along with staff contact information to assist with any questions that come up during the foster stay.
The foster stay may vary greatly depending on the individual animal. The duration can range from a couple of days up to six months or more, with an average stay of two or three days. PAWS staff will give the foster volunteer a date the animal must be returned in advance. Foster volunteers will surrender any foster animal(s) in their care when requested. Foster volunteer are asked to commit to fostering the animal for the duration of their stay in foster care.
One of the best perks of being a foster volunteer is being empowered to find an adoptive family for your foster pet. Foster volunteer know your foster pet the best so who better to find them the perfect forever home!
