Foster A Shelter Animal
Enrich Their Lives and Yours!
Foster care volunteers provide temporary care for kittens, puppies, dogs and cats. Some animals may only need a home for several days, while others may need a few weeks. By offering your time, energy, and home to an animal in need, you prepare an animal for adoption into a permanent home as well as prevent overcrowding in our shelter. The Georgia SPCA is always looking for foster families to help save the lives of more animals.
Foster Care Choices
Foster candidates are carefully matched with foster homes according to the candidate's special needs and the foster parent's abilities. Whether you work full time or you spend most of your time at home, we'll help match you with a foster animal that fits your lifestyle.
Many foster parents have companion animals of their own. We recommend that foster parents keep their own companion animals isolated from their foster animals. A separate room or enclosed area with no carpet works best for a foster animal. For example, a warm spare bedroom or laundry room is an excellent place to foster a cat or kittens.
Support and Resources to Help You
The Georgia SPCA is there to help ensure your success as a foster parent. We'll offer you as much training as you need as well as supplies. Help from our staff is just a phone call away. Each of our foster parents are given a foster care manual and a 24-hour emergency number in case there are questions or problems arise.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of animals need foster care?
Kittens and cats with nursing kittens
Puppies and dogs with nursing puppies
Ill or injured animals that may need regular medication or medical attention
Animals susceptible to stress from a shelter environment
How long will I have my foster animal(s)?
It varies. As a foster parent you can choose the foster situation that is right for your family. In the case of a nursing mom with puppies or kittens, it would be from their intake date until the puppies or kittens are 8 or 9 weeks old. Once they are old enough to get spayed or neutered the surgery will be done and they stay at the Adoption Center for adoption. The time they spend with you would depend on their age at intake. We sometimes get kittens and puppies with no mom that will need to be bottle fed, and this would be a more time consuming commitment. In the case of injured or stressed animals, the length of time would be discussed with you prior to placement.
What are the requirements to be a foster parent?
Foster parents must be at least 18 years of age
Foster parents must fill out and sign a foster care application
Foster parents must attend a foster parent training session
Are there any expenses incurred by foster parents?
Foster parents receive all the supplies necessary to care for their foster animal. Food, bedding newspaper and crates are typical of items sent home with foster parents. We will provide any medicine needed and the Georgia SPCA will provide veterinary care as needed.
Will I need to come back to the SPCA during my foster time?
It depends on what medicines or vaccinations your fosters need. We vaccinate animals every two weeks, so it’s likely that you would need to come back.
Can I keep a foster animal?
We know it’s very hard to give up an animal who you’ve cared for. However, we have invested money into the animals and we are not in a financial position to give them away. You would still need to pay an adoption fee and complete the adoption process. If you find you want to adopt a foster, let the center know immediately so we can do a Pre-adoption & Hold Agreement which will allow us to hold that animal for you.
What if I need to return my fosters because something came up?
We understand that emergencies come up, but the more notice we have, the better. We need to find another foster person to take over the care. Notify the center as soon as you realize that you need to return them.
Why should I become a foster parent?
We believe that the abandoned and abused animals that enter our shelter deserve to have the best possible chance at finding a loving, permanent home. A foster parent has one of the most important jobs at the shelter. Foster parents allow our animals to receive the proper care and attention they deserve as they wait for adoption. As a foster parent you'll not only save the lives of animals in your care, but you'll give other animals coming into the shelter a space on our adoption floor and the opportunity to find their own loving home. If those aren't enough reasons to become a foster parent, consider these:
Foster animals are temporary companions offering their love freely
You'll be helping to socialize a shelter animal so they become more adoptable and better companions
You and your family will feel a real sense of accomplishment when you deliver your health happy fosters to the Adoption Center for adoption
You'll delight at the smiles on the faces of the family that adopts your foster animal and possibly make new friends along the way
Fostering helps you explore many different breeds of dogs and cats to help you decide which traits you'd like in your next companion animal
If for some reason you can't keep a full-time companion animal, fostering for short time periods is an ideal solution
You'll know that you're making a huge difference in the lives of your fosters.
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Ready to Be a Foster Parent?
Contact:
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