Become a Foster Parent

Our foster parents quite literally can save an animal’s life. Often we are faced with requests to take animals that we do not have space for in the building. But if we can find a foster for that animal, we can accept the animal into our system, keeping that animal from being surrendered to a municipal shelter or even dumped on the street.

Foster parents also help us by keeping animals in their homes that for some reason need to be in an environment other than a shelter or kennel environment, such as:

• Dogs or cats with special medical needs who are recovering from illness or injuries
• Puppies or kittens who are too young for the vaccinations and spay/neuter surgery needed for adoption, or are not yet weaned
• Moms and newborns
• Dogs or cats requiring extra socialization to make them more adoptable
• Hospice cases: animals who we don’t think have much time left, but who still have good enough quality of life to give them a few more happy days, weeks, or months in a foster home

HSMSC provides food, kennels/crates if needed, blankets, Puppy pads if needed, toys if needed, litter pan and litter, collar, leash, ID tag, information about the animal, and all veterinary care. What we expect from our fosters is to provide the animal a clean and safe environment, commit to the number of days, weeks, or months the animal needs a foster home, feed and water the animal, provide the animal with enrichment, socialization, and basic training, assess and report on the animal’s personality and behavior, administer medication as needed, and take the animal to and from veterinary appointments here at HSMSC.

To take the next step to become a foster parent for HSMSC, attend a volunteer orientation.