Foster
We have no shelter. Fosters are the shelter.
Every animal we pull needs somewhere to go that same day. The number of dogs and cats New Hope can save is not set by our budget or our energy — it is set, exactly, by how many spare rooms and couches we have. That is the whole constraint.
The deal
What you take on, and what we take on
You provide
- A spot indoors — a spare room, a crate in the corner, a side of the bed.
- Food and litter. We supply what has been donated, and stock genuinely fluctuates.
- Rides to vet appointments and, when you can, to adoption events.
- Notes on how they actually are: with kids, with the doorbell, at 6am.
- About 7 days’ notice if you need us to take them back, when you can manage it.
We provide
- All medical care — vet visits, vaccines, spay or neuter, medication, surgery.
- Crates, bowls, and supplies when we have them in the donation closet.
- A foster coordinator you can text when something is wrong at 11pm.
- Training resources, and an experienced foster to call for the hard ones.
- The adoption side entirely — applications, screening, meet-and-greets, placement.
Honest answers
The things people actually worry about
- How long is it?
- A few weeks to a few months. Puppies and kittens move fast; a heartworm-positive senior or a shut-down dog takes longer. Staying through the adoption is ideal because the adopter gets to talk to the person who actually knows the animal.
- What if I get attached?
- You will. Most fosters do, most of the time, and a good number of them adopt one eventually — "foster fail" is the affectionate name for it. The rest keep going because the room opening up is what lets the next one out.
- What if it does not work out?
- Tell us. A bad match is information, not a failure — sometimes the resident cat says no, sometimes the energy level is wrong for the household. We take the animal back and try a different home.
- Can I foster with kids or other pets?
- Yes, and we match for it. Tell us the ages and what your animals are like, and we will send you something that fits instead of something that will be a fight.
- Do I have to say yes to everything?
- No — and please do not. The application asks specifically what you can take: bottle babies, medical cases, timid animals, big dogs. Narrow is fine. A foster who burns out helps nobody.
- What if I travel?
- Tell your coordinator ahead of time. We arrange a temporary sitter or a short-term foster. Plenty of our fosters travel for work.
Start
Ready?
The application takes about ten minutes and saves as you go. Our foster coordinator will follow up about what you can take and when.