Animal Welfare Professionals

This post is about our Foster Sponsorship program:

Central Arkansas Rescue Transport (CART) developed this program a year ago; we only have 1 partner so far but hope to expand it to new partners before our next high season (November – May).

The program focus is on small foster-based rescues in states with greater demand than supply for adoptable cats, especially in the 'off' season (our high season); many times, these rescues have foster home capacity but struggle with the costs associated with vetting cats in geographical areas identified as 'vet deserts'.  In Arkansas, we are overwhelmed with our supply of cats, and due to low adoption rates locally, our local partners cannot save cats due to limited foster home capacity.  Some of our partners can afford to fully vet their cats but can't move them - they are drowning in wonderful, adoptable cats!  CART's program pays a $100 sponsorship per cat to participating destination partners for three months; ownership of the sponsored cats is transferred to that partner.  We do not charge pull fees and we do not ask to share in adoption fees.  The cats are ready for adoption but need further socialization or are a bonded pair.  Some cats may not show well in pet stores or can be shy with new people - but thrive in a foster home environment.  

We've sent 16 cats in the program's first year to our receiving partner in western Minnesota.  Their cost to vet and spay/neuter a kitten rescued locally costs more than their adoption fee; they have limited financial support locally. This rescue uses the sponsorship to underwrite the supplies for the foster home (or occasionally to lower the adoption fee), and they keep the full adoption fee – which helps fund their local operation.  Some of the cats we've sent needed more than 3 months in a foster home, so we pay an extension fee of $100 for another 3-month period.

To 'sweeten' the deal, we also send other friendly cats that they can put in the 2 pet stores they work with; these are also fully vetted, altered cats.  Whenever possible, we will send ones that will turnover quickly (kittens).  These adoption fees also supplement their revenue.

CART sends cats under the Foster Sponsorship program whenever our Coalition members agree to underwrite the fee and when our receiving partner has foster home space.

I've attached our Foster Sponsorship agreement form (it has 2 optional clauses we use as needed).  I'm attaching Word and PDF versions.