FOSTER PROGRAM

Love Animals? Consider becoming a foster parent. The reward are priceless!
Open Your Home and Your Heart to an Animal in Need

What is Foster Care?

Foster Care is an opportunity to provide care and love for a special needs animal in your own home, without having to make the long term commitment of ownership. In addition, Operation Kindness provides any medical care the pet may need as well as the supplies to care for the pet(s).

Why is Foster Care so Important?

Operation Kindness provides care for an average of 200 animals in our shelter each day but the need to care for more animals is always there. Since we have limited capacity in the shelter, each time you bring a pet into your own home to foster, you provide the space for us to take in another precious animal that needs our special care and attention. In addition, the shelter environment is not the best for already-stressed or immune-compromised ill, pregnant or orphaned animals. Being in a home gives the animals a much better chance for a speedy recovery.

Foster volunteers were vital to our ability to rescue more than 200 pets from Hurricanes Dennis and Katrina and helped many of these animals recover from both their medical and emotional wounds.

What Types of Pets Need to be Fostered?

Dogs and Cats of All Shapes and Sizes!
A foster home is the perfect short term home for pets like the following, who will heal faster and be far happier in your home:

Pregnant cats and dogs that needs a safe, quiet and loving environment to give birth and raise their litters.
A newly born, abandoned puppy or kitten that needs fruqent feedings, special attention and the TLC that only a foster parent can provide.
A dog with a broken leg who has been rescued and treated by our medical staff but now needs a calm place to recuperate until he is ready for adoption.
Stray cats or dogs rescued from abusive or neglectful situations that need the special TLC and patience that only a foster parent can provide to help them heal and begin to trust people again.

Who is Eligible to Become a Foster Parent?

Foster parenting is an opportunity to make a difference in an animal's life. We are looking for caring, compassionate individuals who are willing to donate a few days or a few weeks to help an animal in need.

Below are the basic requirements of being a Foster Parent:

	Must be 18 years of age or older
	Must be allowed to have animals in your home or apartment
	Must have the time to properly care for and monitor your foster pet(s)
	Must be able to provide a safe and comfortable INDOOR environment for your foster pet(s) until they are ready for adoption

What's the Time Commitment for Foster Parents?

Once you have signed up to be a Foster Parent and gone through the training, you’ll start to receive emails or calls notifying you of animals that need foster care. These “Foster Flashes” will advise you of the animal(s), special needs and length of time involved. Sometimes it’s a week or less for a kitten or puppy just shy of adoption age. Sometimes it’s 2-3 weeks for a dog coming from another shelter. And sometimes it’s two months or more for a pregnant cat or dog until she has her babies and they’re old enough for adoption.

You simply agree to take on the foster assignments that you can manage at the time. You are under no commitment to foster a certain number of animals each year, or for a certain period of time. Whether you provide foster care for one kitten for one week once a year, or foster a pregnant dog and her puppies every three months, you are saving lives and making a difference!

How do I Become a Foster Parent?

Operation Kindness provides all the training you will need to become a Foster Care Parent.

FOSTER APPLICATION

Download Foster Care Application

This form is in PDF format - requires Adobe Acrobat Reader

Questions?

Call Tomi at 972-418-7297 x240
Email Foster Coordinator