Foster Care Program

Where to Start…

The quickest way to start is to fill out our foster application! Fill out an application here for fostering dogs, and fill out an application here to help foster cats!

Why Foster?

The primary reason for foster care is to provide temporary homes for dogs and cats due to overcrowding in the shelter, or to assist animals whose current conditions are not manageable in a shelter setting. Foster care is needed for animals who are healthy, sick, injured, or too young for adoption. The Animal Care and Control Team (ACCT) receives more animals than can be accommodated in the shelter, so moving them into foster homes not only saves their lives, but also the lives of those who take their places. Fostering a shelter animal is a wonderful, rewarding experience!

What It Takes…

The ideal foster care provider will have basic knowledge of animal care, as well as a desire to find their foster animal a safe, loving forever home. As a foster parent, you will provide your animals with care including food, water, shelter, litter, training, grooming and trips to ACCT to get medical treatment when necessary. Depending on what you are fostering, foster parents may also be responsible for finding adopters for your foster animal(s) – but we can help!

What You Get…

ACCT provides basic vet care, adoption counseling and support as needed. New foster parents receive a Foster Care Manual with tons of information. Also, donations of food, treats, toys and litter are often available for free to foster parents. ACCT also invites all foster parents to showcase their animals at adoption events, and hosts foster animals’ biographies on our website and sites like Adoptapet.com. Through the Stella and Yoda Fund, we are also to support offsite medical care with our veterinary partners. But nothing beats the feeling of helping to save a life by being a foster parent!

How Long…

The length of foster care commitment varies widely based on each animal. Some foster animals may only need a couple weeks of foster care while other foster animals may need many months of foster care. The length of time can depend on the animal’s age, medical status, or adoptability. For long term foster, foster animals stay in their foster homes until they are adopted out, so marketing your foster animal is an important factor in the length of commitment.

Short Term Fostering

Are you not able to commit to fostering long term? No worries, you can foster from just an overnight to a couple weeks.

Long Term Fostering

Long term fostering ranges from a couple months to however long it is until your foster dog gets adopted!

Day Trips

Are you not able to foster at this time? Definitely consider doing a day trip with one of the pups here at the shelter! Studies have shown that even giving a dog a night away from the shelter makes their stress level not get as high when they return. Photos and additional information you get will also help them find a home.

A day trip is taking a dog on an adventure out of the shelter. You can take the dog on a hike or to get ice-cream.. it’s up to you!

Questions?

Call: Anytime! 267-385-3800 and press 3 (then press 2 for Foster)
Email: foster@acctphilly.org

In keeping with our lifesaving mission, ACCT Philly does require any cats or dogs a foster care provider owns to be spayed or neutered, assuming the animals are healthy and old enough to be safely altered. The animals should also be up to date on all age-appropriate vaccinations.