Foster care programmes remove animals from stressful shelter environments. Evidence shows significant welfare improvements for animals in temporary home placements.
Shelter environments, however well-managed, create inherent welfare challenges for dogs and cats. The novelty, noise, and social disruption of shelter life elevates stress hormones to levels associated with immune suppression and behavioural deterioration. Foster care removes animals to quieter, more stable environments where individual attention, proper nutrition, and veterinary care can be provided. For neonates, foster care is often the only viable welfare option. Beyond immediate welfare benefits, fostered animals often have better adoption outcomes because behavioural assessments in home settings are more accurate than those conducted under shelter stress.