What Foster Care Means

Fostering is a way to help animals currently residing at the shelter by caring for them temporarily in your own home until they are ready to come back to the shelter to be placed up for adoption. There are many species of animals that benefit from fostering, from young to old, from mice to dogs.

Animals in Need of Foster Care

Animals need foster care for a number of reasons:

• Animals in need of socialization
• Animals too young to be adopted, some may still be nursing with their mothers along
• Animals in need of a quiet home to recover from an illness or injury
• Animals that are very stressed by their recent change in their lives and need extra care to encourage them to adapt to new lifestyles

No matter the reason, all the animals in foster care are in need of love and a little extra attention to help them get to the point they can be adopted.

Becoming a Foster Family

All foster families must first submit a foster care application and then meet in person with the foster coordinator for an individual orientation. Before taking any animals into your home, a home visit by a trained shelter volunteer is required. The foster coordinator will explain what will be expected of you as a foster parent and will answer any questions you may have.

Foster parents are asked to provide food, supplies (treats, toys, litter, bedding), and transportation for their foster animals. Any needed medication, prescription food or health care will be provided by Dane County Humane Society.

The length of stay in foster care can vary from a few weeks to several months, depending on the animal's specific needs. Homes that are able to take fosters on a consistent basis help out the most, but even homes that can take only a couple fosters a year can be a big help for the shelter's special needs animals.

More Information on Foster Care

For more information on foster opportunities, please contact the foster care coordinator at (608) 838-0413 ext.149 or e-mail with questions. You can also download our Foster Application (Word fill-informat) and fax it to (608) 838-0368 or mail it to:

New foster homes are always needed, especially for cats!