Make a Difference In The
Life of a Special Animal
Every year SPCA Florida’s Foster Program provides temporary homes to close to 2,000 animals that are too young, currently being treated for illness or injury and need socialization with other people or animals.
Fostering 101
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WHAT IS A FOSTER? A foster is a person who has the ability to give a special animal a temporary spot in their home. Where an animal can thrive, feel safe, loved, and eventually find their forever home.
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WHY FOSTER? Injured or ill pets recuperate more effectively in a calm and nurturing foster home, compared to the overburdened shelter environment. Oftentimes, especially during kitten season, there are simply too many homeless pets and not enough shelter space. Without the help of fosters, many homeless animals would have to be humanely euthanized. Pets are given the opportunity to flourish in an environment that is not a shelter. This allows us to provide more homes for animals that need to be adopted. Becoming a foster caregiver is a rewarding experience for those who choose to temporarily house an animal in need.
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WHO CAN FOSTER? Anyone over 18 years old. As long as you can provide care, shelter, and love, you can be an animal foster parent. Fostering is ideal for people who are unable to commit to an animal of their own due to extensive travel or current living arrangements. Potential emotional challenges include adoption, illness, death, or in some cases humane euthanasia of a foster animal.
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WHEN TO FOSTER? Now! Almost every day SPCA Florida takes in animals that need fostering. If they are too young, too sick, or too scared to be adopted, you could make a difference in their future.
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WHAT IS PROVIDED FOR FOSTERS? SPCA Florida provides all training, supplies, and medical care. You will be given the opportunity to visit with the animals and learn more about their specific needs. If they need medicine, you will be shown how to administer and store it. You will be given any necessary supplies to care for the animal during their stay in your home. All you need to supply is transportation, love and care.
Is Fostering Right For Me?
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Consider your schedule before deciding to foster. Fostering pets, especially bottle babies, require a significant amount of time and commitment. Please make sure your professional and personal obligations allow you to spend time with a fostered pet. The foster team will instruct you on how much time a specific pet will require.
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Make sure your home is suited for fostering. You'll need to set aside a specific area—such as a guest room, kitchen, or even a spacious bathroom, for your foster pet to sleep, eat, and adjust to their new environment. Giving a foster animal too much space too soon can be overwhelming. A secure, quiet area helps them feel safe and allows them to gradually become comfortable with their surroundings. If you have other pets, be sure to keep them separated from your foster pet at first to ensure a smooth introduction.
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Click the link below to get a better understanding of what it means to foster an animal. This will better prepare you before making the commitment to foster.
Fostering an animal is a fantastic experience. You get to take part in saving the lives of animals. If you are an animal lover and would like to make a difference in the life of a deserving animal, fill out an application to begin your fostering journey.
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Fostering kittens is rewarding, but it can also have unexpected challenges. View the below resources to help!
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Orphaned Kitten Care - a collection of How-To videos and tips from Maddie's Fund
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Determining a Kitten's Age - from Alley Cat Allies​​​
Junior Foster Program
School hours can be earned through SPCA Florida's Junior Foster Program
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The Junior Foster Program is designed for youths, ages 8-17 years old. Foster application MUST be filled out by a parent or legal guardian. The participant’s parent or legal guardian is required to accompany their child to SPCA Florida to pick-up the foster assignment. The purpose of the program is for youths to foster with the guidance of a parent/guardian.
This is an opportunity for the youth to accrue community service hours while also helping the community and animals in need. This program allows youth volunteers to foster with the supervision of an adult guardian. Junior Foster League volunteers accrue 2 hours per day for each foster animal. Proof of hours will be awarded once you’ve finished fostering and the animal(s) return to the shelter.
The length of time you foster varies depending on the individual animal. We ask that you at least commit to a minimum of 2 weeks, although fostering generally lasts longer than two weeks.