Pets

Not quite ready for a permanent pet? Try fostering instead

Foster caring for animals means opening your home to provide a safe, nurturing environment for a homeless pet until a forever home is found. Here’s how you can help.

May 27, 2021

Why some animals need foster care

There are many reasons animals need foster care:  

  • It provides a more relaxed, normal environment compared to the shelter environment.  
  • Puppies and kittens may not be old enough to be rehomed.
  • Pregnant animals, cats with kittens and dogs with puppies, need a stable and loving environment in which to raise their young.
  • Animals recovering from surgery.
  • Animals recovering from short-term, treatable illnesses.
  • Animals who are timid or not coping in a shelter environment require a quiet home and some TLC. 

There’s no such thing as a ‘typical’ foster carer

Foster carers include people from all walks of life, from students who can’t commit to a lifelong pet to retirees who love pets but want to travel and families who want to make a difference.  

What’s involved?  

  • The rescue group will give you an idea on how long they would expect each pet to be in your care. If your circumstances change (you need to go away or something urgent comes up) the rescue group will find a new foster carer for the pet. And if for any reason, your foster pet isn’t a good match for your family, your rescue group will find a new carer.  
  • The attention a foster pet will need varies.  For example, if you decide to foster a puppy, it will need more attention than if you foster a settled dog or cat. Each pet is different.  
  • A willingness and ability to exercise, feed and care for them as if they were your own.  
  • When it comes to costs, all rescue groups operate slightly differently, depending on their size, location and type of pet they rehome. Generally, the group will cover all vet costs and the foster carer provides food.  
  • The rescue group will give you all the basic info you need to care for your foster pet and will let you know upfront if you need to provide anything else.

To find out about pet fostering near you go to:

https://www.petrescue.com.au/rescue_directory/map

Source:
https://www.rspcawa.org.au/foster-care
https://www.petrescue.com.au/
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