A: When you foster, you agree to take a homeless dog or cat into your home and give him or her love, care, and attention—either for a predetermined period of time or until the animal is adopted. If your application to be a foster is approved, you will receive much more information from an AHS volunteer about exactly what to expect.

A: There are many reasons a dog or cat might need foster care, including:

• AHS doesn’t have a physical shelter and depends on foster homes to care for dogs and cats until suitable homes are found.
• A puppy or kitten is too young to be adopted and needs a safe place to stay until he or she is old enough to go to a forever home.
• A dog or cat is recovering from surgery, illness, or injury and needs a safe place to recuperate.
• A dog or cat is showing signs of stress, such as pacing or hiding in the shelter.
• A dog or cat could benefit from being socialized in a home environment.

A: Fostering a dog or cat is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have (other than adopting, of course). By taking an animal-in-need temporarily into your home you’re:

• Freeing up a spot so AHS can take in more rescues.
• Giving your foster the time he or she needs to be ready for adoption.
• Helping AHS learn more about the animal so he or she can end up in the best home possible.
• Socializing the dog or cat to a home environment helps with getting used to being around other pets and different types of people.
• When you foster, AHS volunteers are available to help you with anything you need for your foster animal.

A: Glad you asked! You can get started by filling out one of the forms linked above. We do appreciate your interest.