When you agree to foster an animal, you agree to bring a homeless animal into your home for a predetermined amount of time or until the animal gets adopted. You provide the care, love and attention it needs in the interim between being rescued and finding a forever home. Here are some reasons why you should consider fostering a pet:
- You have a calling to help animals. However, don’t want a life long commitment or expense of owning one.
- Shelters get very overcrowded. Placing dogs in outside foster homes allows more space to open up. Allowing the shelter to help more animals in need.
- Puppies need fostering when they are too young to get adopted. They need a safe place to stay until they are old enough to go to a forever home.
- Many rescued animals are very stressed in shelter environments. They don’t “show” well to adopters. Having them in foster homes makes them more presentable.
- Fostering helps prepare a dog for socialization. Whether it be around other pets or different types of people.
- Helps the shelter learn more about the animal. This way it can be matched up in the best home possible.
If you consider fostering a pet or helping in other ways, there are several pet rescue organization throughout the United States that could use help.
I volunteer, foster, donate and adopt through the KY Humane Society.
Learn more about their Foster Program here.
To read about one of my fostering experiences, see the post about Special Needs Foster Dog Tulip’s First steps here.