What can be more meaningful than saving a life? By becoming an animal or pet foster carer, you are helping to save lives. 

By fostering a dog, cat, puppy, kitten, or a small mammal, you are helping...

Every shelter animal given a temporary home means one less animal to care for in the shelter, and one more space to offer to another homeless animal.  In some countries including Australia, shelter animals are euthanised after a defined stay in the shelter. 

1. The rate of cats and dogs euthanised in RSPCA shelters has dropped by about two thirds since 2000 with the increased awareness of "rescue culture" (ABC News, 2019)
2. But, 12% of dogs and 22% of cats were still euthanised in 2018-19 (RSPCA National Statistics Report).

So, by helping to foster animals, you can help reduce a shelter’s euthanasia rate.  

Many animals are overwhelmed by the experience of living in an animal shelter. Lots of strange smells, frequent contact with other animals, the daily routine – all these things can cause stress. Sensitive or chronically ill animals, mothers nursing their young, nervous or frightened and older animals are particularly vulnerable. For these animals, a foster home is a welcomed alternative and sometimes, the only way they can recover.   

By helping to foster, you can directly save their life from potential euthanasia:

These animals in particular will benefit from the personal care a foster carer give:

• Animals with special medical needs
• Young animals who have lost their mother and still need nursing
• Pets with behavioural challenges or a traumatic past. 
  • Under foster care, these animals have a higher chance to recover from physical and psychological abuse, which is very important for those who have suffered from abandonment and/or mistreatment. 

Living in a loving foster home helps these animals to build their trust towards humans, to regain their confidence, and to get used to living in a normal home environment.    

By helping to foster, you can give them a better life, increasing their chances for adoption  

A foster family can help to improve the likelihood that a dog or cat will be adopted. Socialisation and training are key to this. Under the individual care of a foster parent or family, a dog can be taught basic commands such as ‘Sit’, ‘Down’ and ‘Stay’, while a cat will learn how to use a litter box and how to behave in a home. Foster homes can also be of huge benefit to animals that are suffering from behavioural issues. With their foster family they can learn how to behave in a home environment and how-to behaviour when out on walks, meeting strangers or other animals. If an animal is well socialised and understands some basic commands, then their chances of being adopted will increase.    

Fostering can be a very rewarding experience and it is fulfilling to know that you played an important role in helping to move your foster pet onto their forever home. 

Most animal shelters provide guidance and sometimes financial resources to help you to learn new skills and gain experience on handling animals responsibly. With this skill, you can help even more animals that have had a very hard start in life to find their perfect home. This skill is a gift that keeps giving.

By fostering, you are also able to get all the joys of pet ownership on a temporary basis. This is helpful, if your lifestyle at the moment does not allow you to fully commit to owning a pet for their entire lifetime. 

What can be more rewarding and meaningful than caring for another life? So, sign up to become a foster carer now.