Foster

Temporary Home, Lasting Love

The Lifesaving Power of Fostering

Fosters provide a temporary home for cats and dogs in need, offering a safe, nurturing environment as a healthy alternative to shelter housing. As a non-profit rescue, our facility has a limited capacity on the number of animals we can save at any given time, and foster homes allow us to increase that number tremendously, responsible for nearly 60% of our lifesaving each year! That’s over 1,000 animals that would not make it out alive without your help!

Our program focuses on the most sensitive population, from animals who are too young, sick, injured or simply in need of socialization, decompression or mental/physical stimulation. Foster families also provide crucial insight into a more accurate assessment of personality, overall behavior and expectations of an in-home lifestyle, helping to better set them up for adoption success.

Whether you can foster for a few days, a few weeks or right through until an adoption placement is found, the comfort and care you bring is insurmountable. We guarantee that your selfless act of compassion will be paid back tenfold, from the gratitude of a shelter pet whose trajectory is forever changed, to their future families that you help build, we thank you for being their hero.

What We Provide:

Basic care supplies: food, litter, litterbox, leash/collar, ID tag, crate, etc.
All veterinary care that is overseen by our in-house veterinary staff who specialize in shelter medicine.
Access to support, advice and training resources from our knowledgeable team of animal care experts.
Flexible scheduling: we will work with your availability to arrange all pick-ups, drop-offs, vet and adoption appointments.
Our team manages all adoption processing and placements.

What You Provide:

The day-to-day care of your foster pet, with a healthy, safe and secure environment in mind.
Reporting the evaluation of in-home experiences and behaviors.
Transportation to and from the shelter for scheduled adoption meet and greets, events and vet appointments.
Socialization to help develop positive family and pet relationships, exposure to new things, as well as daily mental and physical exercise.

Our Foster Programs:

Standard Foster

Our program is designed to be flexible and easy, allowing you to foster a cat or dog for any length of time you’re available. You choose your commitment and work with our staff to strategize the future success of pets in need. Animals are assigned based on what is compatible with your home environment and which pet is most in need of your support.

Weekend Sleepovers

Our sleepover program allows you to take a dog home for 2-3 nights. Studies have shown that even a night or two in a foster home can help reduce stress levels, improving their mental and emotional health. Your observations in a home will also provide valuable information to improve adoption matches!

Doggy Day Out

Take a dog out of the shelter for an afternoon field trip! You'll give them a break from the noise and routine to experience a few hours of adventure and fun. Go to the park, pet store, to your home, or to a dog friendly establishment and make their day so much brighter.

Maternity Fosters

Help care for mammas and their nursing litters who would otherwise be susceptible to unnecessary stress in a shelter, where underage, immune compromised babies may be at risk. You will make a positive impact by introducing them to a world full of security, love and care during the most crucial developmental stages of their lives.

Bottle Feeders

Raise motherless bottle babies that simply could not thrive or receive the care and nourishment they need without your support. You can help our most fragile population by offering a consistent schedule of nutrients, close observation and the selfless love of a surrogate.

What Our Fosters Have To Say:

“In February 2022 we adopted our beautiful puppy, Callie, from Acadiana Animal Aid. We loved her dearly. Unfortunately, she had a mysterious neurological disorder that was progressing despite all treatment attempts. After loving her for 6 months, things became too unsafe and we had to make the gut-wrenching decision to lay her to rest. Our hearts were broken. Our hearts were not ready to jump into the commitment of adopting again—losing Callie left a huge void in our hearts and lives. I brought up the idea of fostering, that way we could have paws in our home again. My girls wanted to do it right away to help them heal. We started fostering at the end of August 2022. It has been the most wonderful experience. We get these sweet pups who are super scared and with a little bit of patience and love the transformation is amazing. It has been so rewarding for all involved. People say all the time “I couldn’t do it I would get to attached.” Well, you do get attached and show them unconditional love because it is what they deserve. Going into it knowing you are a safe place for them to stay while they get ready for their forever home makes it so worth it. Even my girls will get so excited when they get adopted, then are asking when are we getting the next one? We “failed” with our #7 foster but have continued to foster and hope to do so for a long time.”

Lauren F.

“It is a joy to be a foster family to these precious souls, and so gratifying to see them in the arms of their furever family. I would suggest fostering to anyone that can devote the time and energy that any animal requires, but most of all to those who feel like something might be missing from their life. To save a life is a powerful thing, and that is JUST what fostering does. In fact, two lives. The one in your home and the one that now has a spot open at the shelter. Fostering Saves Lives and I am proud to say that I am a foster parent!”

Shannon H.

“I never thought I could foster because I didn’t think I could ever let them go – my first fosters were Gongo and Garrett (basset/dachshund mixes) and we fell in love. I cried when they left but then realized they were going to their furever homes and I could continue fostering. One of them has his own Instagram page that I still follow. For the last two years, I have fostered over 60 puppies and it is the most rewarding experience to show these precious animals what their lives should really be like. I have fosters for 2 days to 3 months – I open up my home to these precious animals who just want to be loved and provide a safe space for them until that perfect family comes along to give them a home. Please consider fostering.”