Foster Home FAQs
What is Adopt-A-Pet?
ADOPT-A-PET is an all-volunteer not-for-profit humane organization whose purpose is to save the lives of lost, abandoned or otherwise homeless dogs, cats, puppies and kittens and find them permanent loving homes. Adopt-A-Pet is a licensed animal shelter, but does not own a shelter facility. All of our animals are kept in volunteer foster homes or boarded at co-operating animal hospitals until they are adopted into their new family.
Where do the animals come from?
Adopt-A-Pet receives animals from numerous sources, including police or municipal pounds, owner give-ups due to family issues, and many are found just wandering the streets and are never claimed. Some have just lost their owner through death or serious illness. Some have led pampered lives up till now, and some have known nothing but neglect.
How does fostering benefit an animal?
It is very hard for these animals, already abandoned once, to adjust to kennel life which offers only minimal care and much confinement. The true personality of any animal can only be assessed adequately when placed in a home environment where the animal is more comfortable and receives the love and attention it needs. This allows us to learn more about the animal, it’s personality and habits, so that we can then make a more thoughtful match for a permanent adoption.
How can I help?
Adopt-A-Pet is limited in the number of animals it can save by the space it has in which to temporarily house them. You can help save the lives of more animals by becoming a foster home for one of Adopt-A-Pet’s animals. We are always in need of more foster homes so that we can get one of our orphans who is currently being boarded at a vet clinic, with little attention or exercise, into a home environment. This then also gives us the space to rescue another animal who needs our help.
Is fostering for me?
The reason most of our foster homes give for fostering is the most basic: They want to help. They want to make a difference in an innocent animal’s life. In addition to the desire to help animals, lifestyle, lack of ability of make a long-term commitment and financial considerations are the main reasons people choose to foster rather than adopt. When you foster, the commitment you make is not for life. Your commitment ends when you are satisfied that your fostered animal is moving on to the best permanent, loving home it can have. If you are already a multi-animal household and have flirted with the idea of adding another, fostering may be just what you are looking for. You get all the fun and joy of another animal in your household, but on a temporary basis without all the expenses.
What are the requirements for fostering an animal?
- Foster pets’ basic needs must be met on a daily basis: food & water, grooming, exercise, clean litter boxes, TLC.
- Some may have special needs such as medications, bottle-feeding or socializing.
- Foster pets may occasionally need to be taken to a veterinarian.
- You will need to make time to schedule visits with prospective adopters to meet the pet.
- You may be required to attend a meeting once or twice a year.
Can I foster more than one animal at a time?
This is a personal decision that only you can make. Most of our foster homes foster multiple animals, or at least a pair, particularly with cats.
What does it cost me to foster an animal?
When you foster for Adopt-A-Pet, we pay for all of the animals’ veterinary expenses and supplies. Though most foster homes provide their own pet food and litter and consider it their donation to the animals, AAP will provide these items for those who have the heart to foster but not the financial means.
Will I be given a sick animal to bring into my home?
If your concern about fostering is the well-being of the animals you already have, your concern is anticipated. All Adopt-A-Pet animals have been vet checked and treated for worms, parasites, fleas, skin disorders or any medical problems discovered. Cats are Feline Leukemia and FIV tested. Dogs are heartworm tested. Distemper shots are given, and the animal is spayed or neutered if age permits. We do our utmost to ensure the animal is healthy before it arrives in your care so that your animals are not put in harm’s way.
Once I have cared for the animal and bonded with it, how can I possibly then give it away?
Some folks don’t want to foster because they feel they’ll fall in love with the animal and it will be hard to give up. Well, this may be true, but what’s more important is the good you’ll be doing for the animal, which is the ultimate focus of fostering, and the payoff of seeing it get adopted by someone who will love it and provide a permanent home lessens the difficulty we have in saying good-bye. You will have done a good deed … and you can move on to the next one who needs your help.
Can I choose the particular animal that I want to foster?
If your preference is to foster only friendly or low maintenance animals, we will try to accommodate you. Many foster homes enjoy the challenge and receive great personal satisfaction of teaching an animal that may never have known human kindness to trust. Watching the animal change from fearful and hiding to playful and lap-loving is all the reward some foster homes ask.
How long does it take before a foster animal will get adopted?
This is strictly pot luck – there is no way to predict when the right person will come along who’s looking for the particular animal you’re fostering. Some animals are with us for one day, and some are with us for many months. Though we prefer not to shuffle an animal around too many times, alternate arrangements can be made if you can no longer foster or are going on vacation.
What if I decide I want to keep my foster animal?
Fostering can lead to a permanent adoption if the Foster Parent decides he/she wants to keep the animal. We discourage, however, people signing up to be a Foster Home if they are in reality just looking to adopt and figure this would be a good way to "test" the animal first, and then after adopting would not be able to foster anymore. A great deal of time and training and paper work goes into our Foster Home Approval process and we are really only interested in people with intentions of making a longer-term commitment for repeat fostering.
Once I’ve committed, do I have to continually foster with no break?
No. Fostering is still strictly voluntary, and you are welcome to take breaks in between foster animals as you need to.
How do I get started?
After filling out and returning the Volunteer Form, an Adopt-A-Pet representative will contact you and set up a time for further discussion and training.