San Diego Humane Society is facing an unprecedented challenge – a surge in animals needing care. More than ever before in our history, our shelters are at capacity, mirroring a nationwide trend. To continue providing crucial support to vulnerable dogs, cats, and small pets, we urgently need your help. You can be a hero to these animals by participating in the Humane Society Foster Care Program, offering them a temporary haven and freeing up vital shelter resources for others in need.
Fostering an animal is a profoundly rewarding experience. By opening your home, you provide a pet with a much-needed break from the shelter environment, reduce the strain on our resources, and create space for us to help even more animals. Whether you can foster for a few days or several weeks, your contribution makes an immeasurable difference in the lives of these animals. The humane society foster care program is flexible and designed to match your interests and lifestyle.
With the humane society foster care program, you have the opportunity to choose the type of foster animal that best suits you, based on your preferences, experience, and home environment. We provide comprehensive training and all necessary supplies, so you can focus on providing a nurturing and loving home.
Explore Diverse Foster Opportunities with Our Humane Society Foster Care Program:
Our humane society foster care program offers a variety of foster assignments to cater to different interests and capabilities. Here’s a glimpse into the types of animals you could foster:
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Dogs: From playful pups to mature companions, fostering dogs provides crucial socialization and a comfortable home environment, especially beneficial for those overwhelmed in a shelter setting.
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Puppies: Experience the joy of nurturing young lives! Fostering puppies is incredibly rewarding, helping them grow and develop in a home environment before they find their forever families.
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Cats: Offer a calming space for cats recovering from stress or illness. Fostering cats helps them de-stress and allows their personalities to shine, increasing their chances of adoption.
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Kittens: Help tiny kittens thrive! Fostering kittens, often requiring bottle-feeding and round-the-clock care, is a deeply fulfilling experience, ensuring their healthy start in life.
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Small Pets: Guinea pigs, rabbits, hamsters, and other small creatures also benefit greatly from foster care. Providing a quiet and safe environment for these animals can be life-changing.
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Behavior: Some animals need extra support to overcome behavioral challenges. Fostering behavior animals involves working with dogs or cats who may be shy, fearful, or need help adjusting to home life, ultimately making them more adoptable.
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Medical: Provide a healing environment for animals recovering from illness or surgery. Medical fosters offer a quiet, comfortable space for animals to recuperate outside of the shelter, with all medical care and guidance provided.
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Safety Net: Offer temporary refuge for animals whose families are facing temporary crises. Safety net fostering helps keep pets out of shelters and with loving families during challenging times for their owners.
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Adoption Ambassador: Showcase a wonderful animal to potential adopters! Adoption Ambassador fosters actively promote their foster pet to their networks and at adoption events, playing a direct role in finding them a forever home.
Humane Society Foster Care Program Requirements:
To ensure the well-being of our foster animals and the success of our humane society foster care program, we have a few essential requirements for our foster volunteers:
- Age Requirement: The primary foster volunteer must be at least 18 years of age. Those under 18 who are interested in helping can explore opportunities on our Youth Services page.
- Reliable Transportation: Foster volunteers must have reliable transportation to bring animals to vet appointments if needed or to evacuate them in case of emergencies.
- Residency: Foster homes must be located within San Diego County, as our foster animals should remain within the county.
- Time Commitment: Volunteers should have a schedule that allows them to adequately meet the needs of their foster animals. We offer diverse foster options to accommodate various schedules and availability.
- Online Training: Completion of online training is required before beginning your first foster assignment. This training provides essential information and prepares you for successful fostering.
- Trial Foster Assignment: Your initial foster assignment serves as a trial to ensure the humane society foster care program is a good fit for you. This first commitment is for just one foster animal, and we hope you’ll continue fostering with us after a positive experience!
Frequently Asked Questions About Our Humane Society Foster Care Program:
We understand you may have questions about participating in our humane society foster care program. Here are answers to some frequently asked questions:
Will I receive training on how to care for my foster pet?
Yes! We provide comprehensive virtual training accessible through your volunteer record after your application is processed, typically within a week. We also offer hands-on training throughout the year for specific needs like bottle-feeding kittens and puppies.
Is there a specific time commitment involved in fostering?
The duration of foster assignments varies depending on the individual animal’s needs. You will receive an estimated timeframe before committing to a particular animal. Some young fosters require round-the-clock care, while others can be left alone for several hours. We will work with you to find a foster assignment that aligns with your schedule and availability.
Where do I pick up my foster animals?
You will be presented with options of animals from our various campus locations in San Diego, Oceanside, and Escondido. You can choose animals from the campus most convenient for you.
Do I need to supply food or other necessities?
San Diego Humane Society provides all essential supplies and covers all medical care for your foster animal. Specific supply needs will be discussed for each foster assignment to ensure you are fully prepared.
Can I foster just one kitten or puppy at a time?
For kittens and puppies under 8 weeks old, we prioritize their healthy development by placing them in foster homes in pairs or litters whenever possible. If we have a single kitten or puppy, we strive to pair them with a buddy of similar age. Please be ready to foster at least two kittens or puppies for your assignment.
Can my foster animal interact with my resident pets?
For the safety and health of all animals, we recommend complete separation between foster animals and resident pets. If you choose to allow interaction, it must be carefully supervised. Your resident pets should be fully vaccinated and never left unsupervised with a foster animal. Resources on safe animal introductions are available here. Please note that San Diego Humane Society is not responsible for any illness or injury between foster and resident pets.
What happens if I need to travel while fostering?
Your foster team will arrange either a temporary alternative foster placement or shelter housing for your foster animal while you are away. For the animal’s safety and consistency of care within our humane society foster care program, we ask that you do not take foster animals with you on trips or use private pet-sitters who are not trained through our program.
Am I able to adopt my foster animal?
Yes, adoption is absolutely possible! We celebrate when foster families fall in love and choose to adopt their foster pets. However, if your primary goal is adoption, fostering beforehand isn’t necessary. We offer an Adoption Guarantee! If you adopt and need to return an animal for any reason, you can. Fostering is more beneficial for animals needing temporary care and socialization rather than as a “test run” for adoption. Learn more about our adoption process here.
Is it emotionally challenging to say goodbye to foster animals?
Saying goodbye can be difficult, but our Foster team is here to support you. Remember that fostering is temporary, and each goodbye opens your heart and home to help another animal in need. While every adoption saves a life, dedicated foster parents save many lives by providing crucial care and socialization.
Hear from Our Foster Heroes:
Don’t just take our word for it! Here are experiences shared by other foster volunteers in our humane society foster care program:
Kittens: “Being a first-time foster mom to two tiny kittens (9 days old) felt daunting initially, but within a day, their dependence on me overshadowed my doubts. It’s been a week already, and I’m excited to help them get ready for their forever homes!”
Queens and Kits: “For 8 years, while trapping, neutering, and returning community cats, I began fostering feral mom cats with kittens because there were limited foster resources for these expecting mothers. Fostering shelter cats alongside my own pets enriches my life and defines who I am. Fostering is life-changing. Knowing you save lives and contribute to years of pet companionship for someone else is incredibly rewarding. I foster to make a difference, believing that collective small actions create significant impact. Fostering one mama cat and her kittens might not change the world, but it transforms their world.”
Mama Dogs and Puppies: “Initially, fostering a mom dog and her pups seemed overwhelming. How would I manage both? What if she didn’t like my pets or me? After trying it once, I was hooked! Mom does most of the work – feeding, cleaning, and watching over them! It simplifies the assignment. Regarding my pets, I learned to separate them initially and gradually introduce them. It’s always worked out well. I always fall in love with the moms, witnessing their dedication. It’s a beautiful and worthwhile process!”
Behavior Assignments: “Fostering is always enjoyable, but behavior fosters are where the real magic happens! Often, new behavior fosters arrive with shy, fearful eyes. With love, trust, and a confident resident dog’s help, their true personalities emerge. Sometimes, these pups just need a break from the shelter and a safe space – then their sweet, sassy, and playful sides appear! The transformation in weeks is incredible when you open your heart and home. The best part? Hearing your foster baby went to their forever home with a smile, knowing you played a significant role.”
Medical Assignments: “I started fostering puppies and kittens with San Diego Humane Society years ago. Many fosters I take need special medical attention or have been exposed to panleukopenia. Few people want to foster panleuk-exposed kittens, which is unfortunate because anyone can foster them, and it’s been incredibly rewarding. While it requires specific skills easily learned, helping a sick kitten recover and then seeing them go to their forever home is unmatched. Fostering orphans is rewarding, but with panleuk exposure, you directly save a life – a feeling incomparable to anything else.”
Dogs:
Join Our Humane Society Foster Care Program Today!
Ready to make a difference and open your heart and home? Sign up for our humane society foster care program and become a foster hero!
Click here to sign up!
Consider supporting these local rescues as well, who also have foster programs:
