foster care program

 
 

Overview

The Central Texas SPCA (CTSPCA) has been saving animals’ lives since 1988. Because we are a clean, safe, no-kill facility, we will keep an animal here as long as needed to find them a forever home. On occasion, we may have an animal who is having a difficult time living in a shelter or have a medical issue where a home environment would be better suited for their health. On these rare occasions, we would try to place them in a foster home.

Why do we need fosters?

The primary role of a Foster Care Volunteer is to provide a safe, healthy environment for the pet and to socialize them in order to increase their adoptability. We need Foster Care Volunteers to provide temporary care for dogs and cats of all sizes and ages. We take great care to match the animal to you and your situation. Some animals may need fostering for only a few days, while others may need to be in your home for much longer. Again, we work with you to ensure that you are comfortable with the animal, its needs and the expected timeline for fostering.

Your efforts will help prepare the animals for adoption in a more comfortable atmosphere than the shelter.

Here are some of the most common reasons for animals needing a foster home:

  • Puppies and kittens that need to be bottle fed and/or are not old enough to be spayed/neutered (a prerequisite for adoption at our shelter)

  • The pet might need treatment (like heartworm treatment) or some extra TLC

  • The pet might have a harder time emotionally living in a shelter and would do better in a home.

Without foster parents like you, many animals would not make it into our adoption center to ultimately find a good forever home.

How the Foster Care Program Works

First, all Foster Care Volunteers must live within the local area (45-60 miles of shelter).

Second, all Foster Care Volunteers must also be approved to foster a dog or cat from the CTSPCA, similar to our adoption applicants. After submitting a Foster Application, the Shelter Manager and Foster Care Coordinator will review. Upon approval, the Shelter Manager or Foster Care Coordinator will reach out to you and discuss current or future needs. Our goal is to save as many animals from euthanasia as we can. That means that, occasionally, CTSPCA pulls an animal that cannot be immediately placed for adoption. This may be due to medical needs or behavior. The Shelter Manager will evaluate the animal to determine its individual care requirements. Those Foster Care Volunteers who are best suited to care for that particular animal are then contacted. The first Foster Care Volunteer who accepts the invitation to foster will work with the Shelter Manager to schedule a time to pick up the pet at the shelter along with all available information and supplies.

The animal will normally remain in the assigned foster home until the animal is ready for adoption or finishes medical treatment. Foster Care Volunteers may need to bring the animal to one of our vet partners for treatments, medication or other shelter requirements. This is why Foster Care Volunteers need to live in the local area. Such visits will be coordinated between the Shelter Manager and Foster Care Volunteers.

Foster Care Volunteers may be asked to make the animal available for adoption events periodically.

Upon request from shelter staff, the animal shall be returned to the shelter.

If a Foster Care Volunteer wishes to adopt the animal they have been fostering, they will be subject to the same adoption policies and procedures as the general public.

Becoming a Foster Care Volunteer

To become a Foster Care Volunteer, you must be at least 18-years old and complete and submit the Foster Application (link below). The process to work an application, along with contacting references, is between three to five days. If your application is approved, when you take an animal to your home as a foster, we will complete a foster contract outlining the responsibilities of the foster and CTSPCA.

Things to Consider

There are a number of things you should consider and discuss with the rest of your family prior to submitting an application to foster with the CTSPCA:

  • Will you have enough time to spend with your foster animal? Most of the animals needing foster care will be in a great need of quality time and TLC. Socializing is very important, especially with young animals. The more time spent with your foster animal, the better the chance for a successful and permanent adoption to a forever home.

  • Do you have pets of your own? Very young animals have limited immunity and are more susceptible to possible infections carried by older animals. Keeping your foster animals in a separate room with no carpet works best. It is a requirement of the program that you keep all foster animals indoors. Enclosed patios will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

  • Do you have the time to clean-up after your foster animals? Young animals are usually doing one of the four things: Eating, Sleeping, Playing, Going Potty. Keeping the animals and their quarters clean will help prevent illness and stress.

  • Will you be able to keep a close watch on the foster animal’s health? Can you cope with the possibility that the animal you are fostering may die if complications arise? It will be your responsibility to monitor and report any concerns or signs of illness to our staff immediately. The Shelter Manager or Foster Care Coordinator may need you to bring the animal in for an unscheduled examination. If it is determined that your foster animal needs veterinary attention, CTSPCA staff or the Foster Care Coordinator will make the appointment. The CTSPCA will pay for all veterinary care for foster animals that have been approved in advance by appropriate shelter staff (Shelter Manager, Foster Care Coordinator, or Board of Directors).

  • Will you be emotionally able to return the animal to the CTSPCA after the foster period is completed? For some, this is the hardest thing to do. It’s easy to become very attached to your foster animal. The first few times, letting go can be emotionally draining, but it can get easier over time. The more you foster, the more you help us save lives.

Complete the Application

If you are interested in becoming a Foster Care Volunteer, the next step is to complete the Foster Application. A copy of the Foster Contract is available for review.

Please contact our Shelter Manager at 512-260-7722 or via e-mail with any questions. Please write “Foster Care Inquiry” in your e-mail subject line.

If you feel you are not quite ready to become a Foster Care Volunteer but would like to help support our program, please consider donating any of the following much-needed supplies:

  • Milk replacement for kittens or puppies (KMR and Esbilac)

  • Animal baby bottles (available at pet stores)

  • Quality/high protein canned and dry puppy and kitten food (e.g., Fromm’s, Nulo, Canidea, Merrick)

  • Heating pads

Thank you for your interest in our program. We hope you will join us in Finding Forever Families.