Foster Program
Being a foster family is simple and VERY rewarding. You tell us what you want to foster; dog/cat, size, breed, etc and we work to find just the right homeless animal that will work in your home. We then ask that you treat the dog/cat as you would your own dog; offering it food, shelter, love and kindness! We make you a part of finding your foster animal the right home by including you in the process from beginning to end.
FAQ’s
Does it cost us anything? Food, crates, bedding, collars, leashes, cat litter, etc. and all veterinary care is supplied by the rescue! We will pretty much supply you with anything you need to care for your foster animal.
Do we have to live in a certain area? We are primarily based in the Treasure Valley; it is easiest if you live within an hour of Boise, ID.
How long will a dog/cat be with us? There is no guarantee how long a foster animal will be in your care. Many factors play a role in how long it takes to get an animal adopted, animals size, age, looks, time of year, as well as how many animals are adopting out in the shelters. Many animals find homes within a week or so but others can take longer; we work very hard to make sure they are only with you for no longer than 2 months. Please also note that you can foster as often as you like; if you only want to foster in the summer or you want to foster all year long it works for us.
What type of dogs do you have to foster? We are one of few all breed (and mutt) rescue groups in Idaho. We take in all breeds and all sizes of dogs. We work with our foster homes to place dogs that will fit into their household. If you have other dogs, cats, kids we can work with that making sure the dog we place with you will be a good fit for your family and lifestyle.
What happens if a foster dog/cat is not working in my household – am I stuck with it until it adopts? No, we make every effort to remove the dog from your home in the shortest time frame possible. We will ask that you give us up to a week to move it to another foster home.
If you have any other questions please feel free to contact us.
I’m Intrigued – Now What?
If you would like to become a foster parent for us, please read the “Qualifications and Requirements below to make sure you understand your role as a foster and our role as a rescue. After reading below you can complete a foster application on-line here.
If you have any other questions please feel free to contact us.
Fuzzy Pawz Rescue
reserves the right to deny any applications that we deem unfit
or unsuitable.
Qualifications and Requirements
- We require that all your own pets be spayed or neutered and up-to-date on their vaccinations.
- You must be 18 years of age or older.
- There must be no children under the age of 5 in the home.
- If you rent you must provide us with a written notice from your landlord that you have permission to house a foster cat/dog.
- It is not required that you have a fenced yard, however this will limit the types, sizes, breeds we will place in your care. You need to be able to offer a place in the house to the foster animal; they need to be a part of the family and socialized.
- If you wish to foster dogs, a crate is required to keep the foster dog in while you are away from the house, for the sake of the dog and your property. If you do not have a crate one will be supplied to you. Fuzzy Pawz Rescue is not liable for any property destruction your foster dog may cause.
- If you wish to foster cats it is required that you have a “safe room” for your foster cat. We will not be able to tell you if the cat is dog/cat friendly with 100% accuracy and the cat will need to be able to be quarantined until it becomes accustomed to your home for it’s safety.
- Be aware that Fuzzy Pawz Rescue shall not be responsible for any damage or injury done to you, any member of your household, anyone visiting your household or your home itself or by a foster animal in your care.
- Everyone in your household must be okay with fostering.
- Understand that all animals remain the property of Fuzzy Pawz Rescue.
- Members of Fuzzy Pawz Rescue reserve the right to do a home visit at anytime to ensure the health of the animal and see how the animal is fitting into the foster home environment and we have the right to remove the animal at any time.
- We do require that you be involved in helping to find your foster animal the right home. This will require contacting and meeting with potential adopters. You know your foster better than anyone else so it is imperative that you be involved.
Foster Parents Are Asked To:
Give your foster animal lots of attention and affection; treating as if it was your own. The dog/cat may have lived a difficult life before being placed with you. The love, understanding and guidance you can provide to your foster animal will make a world of difference to its future.
Make yourself and the foster animal available for potential adopters. As applications for your foster are sent to you, you will need to contact the potential adopter within 24 hours. You will need to make sure the animal is available for meet and greets with potential adopters. We ask that you help us find the best forever home for the dog/cat not just the first one to come along. We want the animal and the new owner to be happy from day one. We value your insight and input into the adoption process and you will have the right to refuse any potential adopter; after all you will know this dog/cat better than anyone else.
Understand that some foster animals will not survive. Many animals arrive at the Shelter from unknown backgrounds. Despite your best efforts and ours, the animal you foster may develop a severe illness that cannot be treated. Fuzzy Pawz Rescue will do everything within our means to treat and help the animal, but we cannot save them all despite our best efforts.
Keep us in the loop. We ask that you send updates periodically to your Foster Coordinator. The more current you keep us on problems, issues and triumphs the easier it is for us to work through issues or get the dog adopted. Did you potty train that puppy? We want to know. Did the dog chase your cat? We want to know? Is your Springer Spaniel foster dog extremely hyper? We want to know. Remember that most of these dogs/cats are strays that we have very little information about; the more you tell us the easier it is to find a forever home. New information and updated photos will also allow us to keep the animals bios updated.
Enjoy being a foster parent. Although fostering can take a great deal of time and commitment, it can be an incredibly rewarding experience. If at any time you become unable to continue fostering for any reason we ask that you contact your Foster Coordinator; they will make other arrangements for the dog, please give us as much lead time as possible since we do not typically have open foster homes. By signing this foster application you agree to not drop the dog/cat off at any shelter, facility, re-home it without going through the proper rescue procedure, etc.
