Hi Craig- This is so great! There's a fairly new platform out there called BestyBNB which is an online system based on this very thing. It allows people to sign up to foster short term to support people who are in need due to DV, hospitalization, etc.
My advice to you is first and foremost to look into insurance. I believe there may be only one company that will currently insure foster programs. It's really challenging because fostering dogs does sometimes lead to bites and insurers want nothing to do with it. As the person running the foster program, the liability falls on you. In order for you to determine whether your concept is feasible, I would 100% start there.
If you get past that hurdle, I would consider talking to a few of foster coordinators (shelter and/or private rescue) to get an idea of the work involved . For starters, you need to appropriately match pets with fosters. You will run into a wide range of skill sets and you can't just put any dog or cat into any home. You will also be the go to organization 24/7 to support your fosters, including issues, concerns, and medical emergencies.
Also consider what to do if the temporary need becomes long term as I've seen many times, and what happens if the animal needs medical care while your client is not the primary caretaker. It's important to have all of this planned out ahead of time and put into legal documents.
This would fill such a crucial gap. I work on the streets with so many who won't get the help they need because they have no place for their pet. It sounds like you have a bit of a learning curve from the fostering animals side so I suggest you continue to do what you are doing right here and ask lots of questions!
------------------------------
Meg McAdam
President
Human and Pet Initiative
CA
------------------------------