Frequently Asked Foster Animal Questions
Foster Dog FAQs
Foster Cat FAQs
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What is my role before and after the kittens’ spay/neuter surgery?
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Who will take care of my foster kittens if I need to go out of town?
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What if I know someone who’s interested in adopting one of my foster kittens?
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Will it be difficult for me to say goodbye to my foster kittens?
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Can I foster kittens to fulfill a community service obligation?
Foster Dog FAQs
Where do the foster dogs come from?
The dogs who are in need of foster care come to us from two different situations:
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Returned adoptions. We make a lifetime commitment to every animal we rescue. This means that if, for any reason, an adopter can no longer keep a pet he or she adopted from us, we require that the pet comes back to UVAR in Utah. If the pet ends up at a shelter, we will pick the animal up and take the animal back.
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Shelter rescue. UVAR also takes in animals from shelters. Our adoption and rescue program is very small and focuses specifically on pets in shelters. We want to save as many lives as possible, and the foster program allows us to maximize our resources.
What do foster families need to provide?
Foster families need to provide:
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A healthy and safe environment for their foster dogs
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Transportation to and from the adoption center and all vet appointments as needed
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Socialization and cuddle time to help teach dogs positive family and pet relationships
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Lots of exercise and positive stimulation to help them develop into great dogs
How much time do I need to spend with a foster dog?
As much time as you can. With that said, the amount of time will vary depending on the energy level and needs of the dog you are fostering. It is ideal to spend around two hours a day exercising and playing with your foster dog to ensure that he or she receives adequate socialization and stimulation.
Can I foster dogs even if I have a full-time job?
Yes. The foster application is designed as a survey to help the foster coordinator match you with the best animal for your needs and your current schedule. If you have a fulltime job, the foster coordinator will match you with a dog who may be OK alone during the workday. You would then just need to provide ample exercise before or after you go to work.
Can I foster a dog if I don’t have a fenced yard?
Yes. Even if you do have a fenced yard, we request that you supervise all outdoor activities with the foster dog. And we ask that you always keep him or her on a leash when you’re on walks.
How long will the dog need to be in foster care?
Ideally, foster dogs stay in their assigned foster homes until they get adopted. We do not have a boarding location to house animals overnight, so these dogs rely on foster homes as their home between homes.
How often does my foster dog need to go to Adoption Events?
Once a foster dog has been cleared medically and behaviorally for adoption, we ask that foster families bring their foster dogs to adoption events as they are scheduled.
Will I need to give medicine to my foster dog?
Almost all of the dogs that we have in our foster program are rescued from shelters and have been exposed to shelter illnesses. While we do our best to ensure that we are aware of all the conditions that a foster dog may have prior to going home, many illnesses have incubation periods, meaning symptoms can arise after you take a dog home. So while some dogs do not require any medicine, others may. If your foster dog needs medications, we can show you how to administer them before you take the animal home.
Can I let my foster dog play with my personal pets?
There are a few guidelines that we ask foster families to adhere to regarding their personal pets. While foster dogs playing with other pets is often fine, we advise that you consult with your veterinarian before fostering to ensure that all of your personal pets are healthy and up-to-date on all vaccines. Dogs in shelters are very susceptible to illness and can carry or catch different diseases. If, for any reason, your personal pet becomes ill while you are fostering a UVAR pet, we cannot provide medical care for your personal pet.
What if I want to adopt my foster dog?
If you want to adopt a foster dog, you will need to complete an adoption application and follow the full adoption process. If you do decide to adopt your foster dog, please contact the foster coordinator right away because once the dog is up for adoption, we cannot hold him/her for anyone, including the foster parent.
Who will take care of my foster dog if I need to go out of town?
If you have travel plans while you are fostering a dog for UVAR, you will need to contact the foster coordinator to find a boarding facility to house your foster dog until you return. Please provide at least one week’s notice to ensure that we can find a boarding facility for your dog. If your trip is over a holiday, please provide a minimum of two weeks’ notice. If adequate notice is not given, you may be asked to provide payment for your foster dog’s boarding. You cannot leave your foster dog with an unauthorized person or pet sitter without permission.
What if my foster dog bites me?
If any of your foster pets bite you and break skin, causing you to bleed, you need to report the bite to the foster coordinator within 24 hours of when the bite occurred. The law requires that we report all bites. The teeth of the animal, not the nails, must have broken the skin. If you are unsure, then please report the bite anyway.
What if my foster dog is not working out?
You are not required to continue to foster a dog if you feel it’s not working out. However, we may not have an immediate alternate foster home for the dog. As mentioned above, we don’t have our own overnight boarding facility so we rely on boarding partners. We will work on moving your foster dog out as soon as possible, but ask for your understanding and patience. Please call the foster coordinator during business hours if this situation arises.
Can I foster a dog to fulfill a community service obligation?
Unfortunately, we cannot sign off on court-ordered community service hours for fostering. Community service is supposed to be supervised work, and fostering is unsupervised, since it takes place in your home. If you need community service hours, on-site volunteering is an option.
Foster Cat FAQs
What do foster families need to provide?
Foster families need to provide:
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A healthy and safe environment for their foster kittens
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Transportation to and from our facility, and all vet appointments as needed
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Socialization and cuddle time to help teach the kittens about positive family and pet relationships
How much time do I need to spend with the kittens?
As much time as you can. The more time you spend with your foster kittens, the more socialized they will be to people. The amount of time required for feeding will vary depending on the age of the kittens you are fostering. Very young kittens need to be bottle-fed every two to three hours, while older ones may be eating on their own and needing to be fed just a couple times a day.
Can I foster kittens even if I have a full-time job?
Yes. The foster coordinator will match you with kittens appropriate for your schedule. We will need you to be available, however, to take the kittens to a vet appointment if they are sick.
How many kittens will I be fostering?
We like to have at least two kittens in a foster home so they can socialize with and learn from each other. Sometimes there are special circumstances in which a kitten goes to a foster home alone, but it’s usually for a medical or behavioral reason. The decision is made by the foster coordinator.
How long will the kittens need to be in foster care?
Once a kitten weighs two pounds, he/she can be spayed or neutered and then put up for adoption. If you are fostering a litter of kittens, we will try to keep at least two of the kittens together for the surgery, but we want to get everyone spayed or neutered and ready for adoption as early as possible.
What is my role before and after the kittens’ spay/neuter surgery?
Once your kittens weigh 2 lbs, will drop your kittens off at our facility the night before the surgery. You will be given a foster animal biography form to fill out so you can tell potential adopters about any special or fun personality traits that the kittens have or anything else that you think adopters would want to know about the kittens. As you would expect, kittens are usually adopted quickly.
Will I need to give medicine to the foster kittens?
While we do our best to ensure that we are sending out healthy kittens to foster care, most illnesses have incubation periods, meaning that if the kittens picked up something at the shelter, symptoms can arise after you take them home. So, some kittens do not require any medicine, while others do. If your foster kittens need medication, we can show you how to administer it before you take the animals home.
Can I let my foster kittens play with my personal pets?
Kittens are very susceptible to illness and can carry or catch dangerous ailments easily. For this reason, we require that foster parents isolate foster kittens with their own supplies for at least two weeks to try and ensure that the kittens are healthy prior to exposing them to your personal pets. We also advise that you consult with your veterinarian before fostering to ensure that all of your personal pets are healthy and upto-date on all vaccines. If, for any reason, your personal pet becomes ill while you are fostering an APC pet, we cannot provide medical care for your personal pet. For more details on how to introduce cats to each other, read “Introducing a New Cat.” If you want to allow your dog to interact with the kittens, read “How to Introduce a Dog to a Cat.” Never leave your personal pets unsupervised around the foster kittens. Important note: If your personal cat is allowed outdoors, he or she cannot interact with your foster kittens. Kittens are very vulnerable to illness and we want to limit their risk by not exposing them to anything from the outdoors.
Will any of my foster kittens die?
Sadly, kittens are fragile, so it is always possible for them to become ill and pass away while in a foster home. This may be the hardest thing about fostering kittens. If it’s something you don’t want to encounter, then fostering kittens may not be the best fit for you. But please keep in mind that without foster homes, most of these kittens would not stand a chance of survival in a shelter. You’re helping to save lives.
Who will take care of my foster kittens if I need to go out of town?
If you have travel plans while you are fostering kittens for APC, you will need to contact the foster coordinator and make arrangements to return your foster group to our facility for the duration of the time that you are gone. Please provide at least one week’s notice to ensure that we have space for your kittens. If your trip is over a holiday, please provide a minimum of two weeks’ notice. You cannot leave your foster cat with an unauthorized person or pet sitter. We have specific training for foster parents, and pet sitters have not undergone that training or signed the release waivers for the foster program.
What if a foster kitten bites me?
If any of your foster pets bite you and break skin, causing you to bleed, you need to report the bite to the foster coordinator within 24 hours of when the bite occurred. The law requires that we report all bites. The teeth of the animal, not the nails, must have broken the skin. If you are unsure, then please report the bite anyway.
What if I want to adopt one of my foster kittens?
If you want to adopt a foster kitten, you will need to complete an adoption application and follow the full adoption process. When you bring your foster kittens back, they are not always immediately available for adoption. We have to ensure that their medical records are current and give them a brief examination to ensure they are healthy enough to be adopted. With that said, if you decide to adopt after you’ve returned the kittens to the lifesaving center, please contact the foster coordinator right away because once the kittens are up for adoption, we cannot hold a kitten for anyone, including the foster parent.
What if I know someone who’s interested in adopting one of my foster kittens?
If someone you know is interested in adopting one of your foster kittens, please contact the foster coordinator as soon as possible, because once the kittens are up for adoption, we cannot hold them for anyone. However, we do want to accommodate referrals from foster parents if we can.
Will it be difficult for me to say goodbye to my foster kittens?
Saying goodbye can be the most difficult part of fostering, but remember that we always have more kittens who need wonderful foster homes. Keep in mind that by fostering these vulnerable pets, you are playing a crucial role in helping to save lives.
Can I foster kittens to fulfill a community service obligation?
Unfortunately, APC cannot sign off on court-ordered community service hours for fostering. Community service is supposed to be supervised work, and fostering is unsupervised, since it takes place in your home. If you need community service hours, on-site volunteering is an option.