Welfare of Companion Animals in Foster Care Networks

Shelter foster care networks provide welfare advantages over kennels but require careful management to ensure foster carers have the knowledge and support to meet individual animal needs.

Key Facts

Fostering reduces animal cortisol levels within days compared to kenneled controls
Foster carers often bond with animals they are fostering, reducing adoption rates through failed foster situations
Under-supported foster carers may return animals unexpectedly, causing multiple rehoming events that harm welfare
Foster care allows behavioral assessment in home environments that kennels cannot provide
Well-resourced foster networks achieve higher adoption rates and lower return rates than conventional shelter systems

Welfare Considerations

Foster care networks represent one of the most effective welfare improvements available to shelter systems — removing animals from the stress of kennel environments and placing them in homes where behavioral assessment and socialization can occur naturally. However, fostering is only as welfare-positive as the support systems around foster carers. Carers who are inadequately trained, inadequately supported, or emotionally overwhelmed by the work may return animals at critical times. Investing in carer training, veterinary support, and emotional support for foster networks amplifies the welfare benefit.

What You Can Do

Foster animals from local shelters if you have the space and resources
Support shelters that invest in comprehensive foster carer training and support programs
Donate to shelters with established foster networks to fund carer support infrastructure
Advocate for shelter systems to prioritize foster network expansion over physical kennel capacity expansion