Being a Foster Parent

Foster care is a temporary care arrangement between a foster parent and a foster child under the age of 18. It aims to provide the child a stable family life until the child is eventually reunited with his/her parents. This is a big responsibility which few of us are prepared to take on.

But what about fostering a dog or cat? The number of rescued strays globally far exceeds the number of adopters which means that these healthy homeless animals are culled when they are impounded.

Of course it is not necessarily less of a burden to care for a pet than to care for a kid. Pets need as much attention; they will need physical and medical care; they can disrupt your home and life just as much. Yet, caring for an animal in need can be a truly rewarding experience. Fostering pets, even for a short stay, provides purpose for the carers. Creative play, exercise and bonding with an animal lowers stress levels and feelings of loneliness and isolation. It is no wonder that during The COVID-19 lockdown period, animal welfare organisations saw a ten-fold increase in fostering and adoption requests.

For families who have not had exposure to animals before, fostering a pet may be a good first experience for their children.

What are the criteria for a suitable pet adopter? Essentially, one needs to be passionate about dogs/cats; be willing and able to provide them with their basic needs and love and care for a minimum commitment of 2 months, or preferably until a permanent home is found for them. Each shelter and rescue organization has different administrative requirements in place to approve foster families. Most require a background check. There are many animal shelters around the world looking for your help. Even if you can’t foster one, maybe you can help by donating your time through becoming a volunteer, or sending them a monetary donation.

Fostering is a win-win situation. Fostering saves lives.