Foster

Last year, the amazing fosters at Operation Kindness cared for more than 2,500 animals. Pets are placed in foster homes to help them grow, become socialized, recover from medical treatment or as a short-term trial before adoption.

Become a Foster for Homeless Pets

Fostering is an important role because you are saving lives and helping prepare homeless animals for their new families!

Same-day fostering opportunities are available.

Many pets are also available to foster during a trial period before completing the adoption process. See our Foster First and Foster to Adopt sections below for more information.

FOSTER

Get Started

You can start fostering today with no experience necessary!

Fosters receive around-the-clock support from Operation Kindness staff members and all medical needs are taken care of at our on-site animal hospital.

To sign up, please submit the foster application.

FOSTER APPLICATION

Foster Opportunities

Foster First

Foster First is a short-term trial adoption program. You can bring home a pet for up to 7 days while considering whether adoption is the right fit.

This program gives potential adopters and pets time to ensure it’s a match before finalizing an adoption. You have the option of fostering the pet for up to seven days. If it’s a match, the adoption can be completed via adoption over the phone without needing to return to Operation Kindness.

Foster First sign-up can be completed before or after meeting your foster pet. Our Client Services staff will assist in identifying Foster First eligible pets and walk you through the process. In most cases, you can bring home your Foster First pet the same day.

Foster to Adopt

Pets awaiting or undergoing noncritical medical treatment or too young or small for formal adoption can be placed with interested adopters as foster pets. Once the pet has completed their treatment or is ready for surgery, the foster can complete an adoption with their new best friend.

Foster to Adopt sign-up can be completed before or after meeting your foster pet, and you can take your foster home the same day you meet them. Our Client Services staff will assist in identifying Foster to Adopt pets and walking you through the process.

Puppies, Kittens, and Nursing Moms

Too young and vulnerable for the shelter environment, fosters keep nursing moms, newborn puppies, and kittens in their home until they are old enough for adoption.

Operation Kindness provides all training and supplies, including food. Our team provides medical care in our on-site medical hospital.

Bottle Babies

Bottle fosters are puppies and kittens 2-3 weeks old who are without their mother. They require bottle feeding for two weeks before transitioning to soft and solid food.

Operation Kindness takes hundreds of kittens into its neonatal kitten nursery each year. After an initial medical evaluation, these kittens do best in a foster home.

Bottle fosters receive one-on-one instructions for feeding and caring for these very young pets and ongoing support from the Nursery and Foster Teams.

Kindness on the Go (day fostering)

Kindness on the Go

Kindness on the Go allows adult shelter dogs to spend time out of the kennel environment.

Foster volunteers take dogs on day trips, giving them a short break while helping to increase their chances of adoption by gaining more information about them. Volunteers are given all needed supplies, including a leash, harness, dog business card, and an itinerary packed with fun things to do!

Kindness on the Go pups can spend the day out and about with you or at home watching TV. Either way, the information gathered from these trips helps our team match them with a new loving home.

No appointment is needed to participate in Kindness on the Go. Kindness on the Go can be as short as an hour or as long as a full day with a shelter dog.

Medical Animals

Provide care for animals recovering from medical treatment or surgery. All medical treatments take place in our on-site medical hospital or in partnership with another veterinary resource. We provide all needed supplies and medicine; you provide a quiet environment for the pet to recover in.

Behavioral Animals

With the training and guidance of Operation Kindness’ behavior team, assist dogs and cats who need a little more help before finding a loving home.

Shelter to Service Dogs

Operation Kindness and Dogs for Better Lives are partnering to train future assistance dogs.

Assistance dog fosters at Operation Kindness help shelter dogs have a second chance at a life-changing career as a service dog for someone in need. Dogs will be trained to serve as hearing assistance dogs across the United States.

Total fostering commitment is up to 7 months and fosters must commit to:

Be willing to support the dog’s training.
Communicate with the trainer how the dog is doing.
Be open to training tips (positive reinforcement only).
Have well-behaved dogs at home, or no dogs.
Provide a loving home-life for the dog while in foster care.
Build the dog’s confidence.
Expose the dog to new experiences and sounds.

Interested? Complete the foster application to get started!

FOSTER

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do animals need to stay in foster care?

The typical foster stay is two weeks to two months, depending on the needs of the individual animal(s) in your care. The time frame of each foster situation will be discussed with you ahead of time.

Can I become a foster volunteer if I have pets of my own?

Yes, we welcome pet owners as fosters. With some fosters, specifically puppies, kittens and nursing mothers, we recommend keeping shelter animals separate from your pets. This helps prevent stress and the spread of illness. The risk of spreading illness is greatly reduced if your animals are current on their annual vaccines.

What costs are involved in foster care?

Operation Kindness provides all medical care and all supplies such as food, crate, kitty litter and toys. Foster families provide housing and a safe place to stay. They also provide exercise, socialization, and lots of love!

THEY FOUND LOVING HOMES

Success Stories

Our greatest joy is pairing pets with loving homes. While we love every single animal in our care, we hope to see them leave one day. The way we see it, animals don’t belong in a shelter – they belong in a home.

SUCCESS STORIES