To become a Companion Animal Foster volunteer, please fill out the online application below.

Companion Animal Foster Application

To become a Companion Animal Foster volunteer, please fill out the Essential Job Requirement Inventory below. 

Essential Job Requirement Inventory

We will reply to your application by email within 1-2 weeks of receiving it.  If your email system uses SPAM filters you can prevent these filters from blocking our email messages to you by adding our Volunteer department email addresses to your 'safe sender list' or 'white list.'

We suggest you add the email addresses below into your email system's address book:

dchsfoster@giveshelter.org

nwomack@giveshelter.org

volunteer@giveshelter.org

At orientation, you will be taken on a tour of the shelter to get an insider's look at the work that goes into animal care at DCHS. You'll also learn more about our programs and policies so you can start your volunteer work equipped with the information you need to successfully contribute to our mission. As a foster parent, you may not spend much time in the shelter, but orientation will give you the information you need to understand how your role as a foster fits in.

At the end of the orientation, if you decide we are the right fit for you, we will collect a $20 processing/supply fee. Financial hardship scholarships may be available on a case-by-case basis. You will receive an official DCHS volunteer t-shirt and role-specific training packets.

You will meet with a designated staff member or volunteer of the Foster Care Team who will train you in your new role and finalize your volunteer schedule.

After these steps are completed, you're ready to foster! Please be aware that this process can take up to a month, depending on timing, position desired and other factors, so we appreciate your patience and hope that your commitment to volunteering remains strong. Thank you for your interest in becoming part of our foster volunteer team!