Become a foster. Save more lives!
Have some time and love to share? Why not share it with a furry friend?
HSVB’s Foster Program plays a vital role in saving lives. Fosters provide a temporary home to an animal in need.
Fosters are vital to our lifesaving mission!
We have foster opportunities to fit a variety of lifestyles and availability. Commitments vary depending on the animal’s needs. HSVB is here to help fosters during this journey, including providing training resources, all supplies and medical attention if needed.
Fosters are a key part of the adoption process. As a foster parent, you’ll know the animal’s personality better than anyone, and that information can really help when finding the potential new adoptive family.
Foster Perks
- It’s a life-saving experience for the animal!
- It’s a life-changing experience for you!
- Slobbery kisses!
- Kitty snuggles!
- And so much more!
Fostering Helps
- Reduce animal length of stay!
- Allow us to save more animals!
- Us learn more about the animal!
- Give the animal the extra love they need!
Help save lives, provide a temporary home for an animal (or multiple animals) in need!
Become a foster today!
Foster FAQs
As a foster, you provide a safe and loving environment for feeding, care, and socialization. A separate room or space is needed to keep foster animals separate from your personal pets, and transportation to and from HSVB is needed for vaccines and medical check-ups. We ask that fosters follow our guidelines on feeding, training, and medicating your foster pet, as provided by HSVB staff.
Foster families are needed for animals not ready for adoption yet, whether they are sick, underage, injured, under-socialized, or just need a break from the shelter. We especially need foster care for bottle babies and nursing moms, a very delicate age needing round-the-clock care.
Not a problem! We can walk you through the process and if you are willing to learn we are always willing to teach. HSVB staff are happy to answer any questions or help train on specific tasks like bottle feeding, cat and dog behavior, or proper socializing.
HSVB provides veterinary care, medications, food, litter, toys, bedding, and a crate. All items will need to be returned at the time of drop off, but if you purchased supplies for your foster pet you are welcome to keep them for the next foster. We appreciate the generosity of our fosters, always willing to help.
Foster dogs can be taken in public on a case-by-case basis, considering their age and behavior. While socializing is very important, we do not want to put dogs in potentially uncomfortable situations. Foster dogs should never be brought to dog parks, as there is the strong possibility of unvaccinated dogs, disease, intestinal parasites, or dog fights. Public parks are great places for dogs to be seen by the public and meet new people, but we ask that you do not introduce them to other dogs unless you have been trained to do so. Foster cats and kittens should always be indoors in your home, as traveling can be very stressful for them.
Foster Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older, but family members, including children, can play a huge role in caring for and socializing with foster pets.
We call that a foster fortune! Foster parents get the first opportunity to adopt. We ask that if you are interested in adopting you tell us as soon as possible so that we can let adoptions staff know.