Companion Animals

Shelter Animal Foster Programs

Foster programs provide animals with home environments that dramatically improve welfare and adoption outcomes compared to shelter kennel housing.

Key Facts

Foster programs can increase shelter capacity without expanding physical facilities
Fostered animals have lower stress hormones and better behavioral outcomes than kenneled animals
Medical and behavioral foster cases often cannot be adopted directly from kennels
Foster networks allow shelters to reach beyond physical capacity limitations

Welfare Considerations

Shelter foster programs directly improve animal welfare by removing animals from kennel stress into home environments where they receive individual attention, experience normal household routines, and develop the social skills needed for adoption success. The welfare benefits of foster care over kennel housing are well-documented and substantial. Expanding foster networks is one of the most cost-effective welfare improvements available to animal shelters.

What You Can Do

Volunteer as a foster parent for shelter animals
Encourage friends and family to consider fostering rather than kenneling space
Donate to shelters building foster network infrastructure
Advocate for shelter investment in foster program coordination