Foster Volunteers Provide Essential Help
Foster volunteers provide temporary care for one or more shelter pets in their own homes until the pets are ready for adoption. Often, these pets are too young to be placed in the shelter or have special needs that require a nurturing home environment. Foster parents provide a clean, safe, loving environment for these pets. After spending time in foster care, these pets are healthier and happier, which means they are well-prepared to be adopted by a loving family. WAGS supplies all food, medical care and some supplies (such as weighing scales and toys).
Types of Animals Fostered
As a foster parent, you may give a mother cat and her kittens a place to live until the kittens are old enough for the entire family to return to the shelter for adoption. You could care for a cat with an upper respiratory infection until he feels better or help rehabilitate a dog with a broken leg that is healing. You might also foster animals that need socialization and are not thriving in the shelter environment.
Time Commitment
Foster stays may be anywhere from two to eight weeks or more. Foster animals are matched with foster parents based on the individual needs of the pet and the experience, preference, and availability of foster parents. WAGS fosters animals year-round, but the greatest need is May through October, during “kitten season”.
Other Considerations
Because most foster animals have limited immunity, it is best to keep them physically separated from your own pets (preferably in a different room), at least at first. When outside, puppies and dogs must be supervised in an enclosed yard or on a leash. Kittens and cats must be kept indoors at all times.
Dogs/puppies are on leash at all time when not in the foster’s backyard. This means there is a no off leash dog park or beach activity for fostered dogs.
Additionally, there are safety protocols in place for the safety of the dogs and for procedures of an accidental runaway dog.
For all fosters, there are expectations to engage via our social app BAND. We promote a fostered pet for adoption straight from the foster’s home. This requires updates, pictures and videos to keep WAGS admin well informed of changes, improvements and successes the pet may be achieving outside of the shelter.
Lastly, there is always more information about the foster program and support available. Please feel free to text 714-887-6156 to meet with the administrator or Volunteer Coordinator to inquire.