Friends of the Attleboro Animal Shelter (FAAS) is often seeking responsible and patient people that are willing to temporarily open their hearts and homes to an animal in need. Some pets cannot stay at the shelter and need to be placed with a loving family while in our care. There are several reasons why we rely on foster homes and many benefits to the animals being fostered.
Foster Animals with Medical Issues
We occasionally have animals that are under medical care and reducing the stress of the shelter environment benefits them greatly. These foster animals may require exercise restriction, daily medications or ones that are preparing for birth. Fostering an animal with medical needs may include responsibilities such as:
- Provide a warm loving temporary home
- Follow directions from our Veterinarian on caring for the needs of the foster animal (Administer medications/treatments)
- Follow guidelines provided by the FAAS team
- Bring the foster animal to Veterinary appointments
Foster Animals with Behavioral Issues
Shelter animals aren’t broken, some may just need more time and patience than others.
The Cats Meow
When taking in cats, some may be shy or under-socialized and need a quiet place to land while they learn to trust again. Fostering a cat with behavioral needs may include responsibilities such as:
- Provide a warm loving temporary home with extra patience and consideration for the animal in your care
- Experience with under-socialized or high arousal cats
- Under-socialized cats: these cats typically did not receive consistent positive interactions with humans as kittens and may hiss, swat and run away from humans.
- High arousal cats: these cats have a tendency to get overly aroused by some interactions with humans and typically do not tolerate prolonged petting.
- Provide a quiet area in the home where the cat has limited stress, noise and activity
- Offer appropriate exercise and socialization
- Willingness to be patient is essential, as each animal progresses differently
- Follow suggestions offered by the FAAS team
Talk to the Paw
We often have rambunctious pooches that struggle with the stress of the shelter environment and need the consistency and structure of a home to prepare for adoption. Some dogs just don’t know how to be a happy go lucky dog. Fostering a dog with behavioral needs may include responsibilities such as:
- Provide a warm loving temporary home with extra patience and consideration for the animal in your care
- Experience in positive reinforcement dog training
- Offering appropriate exercise and socialization
- Having experience with:
- Highly excitable dogs: dogs with lots of energy may also jump and mouth either trying to play or get attention.
- Dogs with separation anxiety: dogs with separation anxiety may bark or howl, be destructive, and urinate and/or defecate in the house when left alone.
- Dogs with possessive behavior: dogs with possessive behavior may show teeth, growl and snap when things that are important to the dog are touched or approached.
- Understanding that some of our dogs would do best in a home without other pets or young children
- Follow suggestions offered by the FAAS team
If you would like to foster an animal in your home, please complete the Foster Parent application on our applications page.
Fostering is a life changing event for an animal. Are you ready to be a super-hero?