Animal Welfare Professionals

For those who have fostered, what made you foster for the first time? Was it a post you saw on social media about a specific pet? Did someone you know foster animals? I know a lot of people interested in fostering but haven't done so yet, so I'm just curious as to what made you "take the leap"  

What finally made me take the plunge was something a long time foster said in an article she wrote. I'm paraphrasing here, but basically she said, when I get one adopted, I've met the home they are going to & I know it's a good place for them, & I know it opens a spot in my house to save another one. Have I been a "foster failure", yes many times over. Have I cried over some as they left, yes, more than I can count, but it just motivates me to take in another one to save!

Ah, it was so long ago!  I gotta give props to the people at the shelter for talking me into it.  I was wanting to adopt a cat, not foster, but she was sick with URI at the time--but still on their website--and they said, you know, we can't let her be adopted until she is better, but you could foster her AND HER CAGEMATE while they recover from URI.  They said, hey, we provide the food, the litter, the meds, anything you need.  I figured why not.  It couldn't have worked out better.  That little cat--Fiona--was a terrible match for my lifestyle, but I saved her life, I saved her cagemate Luke's life, and I embarked on a fostering journey.  And now as I sit here, surrounded by foster kittens who really want a piece of this laptop, I am so grateful.  Yes, I could have adopted and saved a life, but I have saved so many more lives by being willing to love them enough to get them better and let them go.

I am a board member and asked one of our senior team members what it was like fostering kittens. Three days later she called me at 7pm to take a bottle baby. My first foster "winner" (I don't call them failures). Over 60 kittens later, I am loving it! We have been inviting people to sessions a year to learn more about fostering and usually get a few from there. Our network for kittens is fairly big. Our larger challenge is dog fosters. So hard to find.

Love changing the terminology to "winner" versus failure.   Such a true statement, no failure there.... win, win situation all around!  Congratulations.

I live in Maui part time and it's too hard to travel with/take my own kitty because of the regulations the state of Hawaii has in place, so, when I'm there (2 months in the spring and 2 months in the fall)  I foster for the Maui Humane Society so I can still be helpful.  My own kitty stays back at home with husband and is well cared for.  It's a great set up for sure, I'm helping another organization and still get my kitty fix

and your mainlander guests get their fix too!!!!   

Our shelter had just started a weekend foster program for adult dogs and it made it much more doable for my family. I'd been volunteering at the shelter for several months and had seen the behavioral decline that happens when pets get stressed in the shelter end badly for several dogs that I loved. We started with the most stressed dog on the shelter's adoption floor. She was adopted less than a week later, after having been at the shelter for 7 months. We were hooked!

Hi Britt,

I am developing an online foster video training series which will include a "Is fostering right for me?' video geared toward educating potential fosters about why it's important, levels of commitment, types of fostering needed, how to deal with empty nest sadness, etc. The goal being to demonstrate the lifesaving reality of fostering and that there are dozens of ways you can help. If you have certain topics you think should be covered in the videos, have requests or suggestions, please let me know. If you want to learn more https://worldreadypets.com/