Foster

The Rancho Coastal Humane Society (RCHS) Foster Program helps us save more lives. Since shelter space is limited, foster volunteers allow us to care for more animals and give them a second chance at a “fur-ever” home.

RCHS FOSTER PROGRAM

This program provides a temporary home to a variety of companion animals. Underage puppies, kittens, & bunnies need a home environment to grow up healthier and better socialized. Animals having physical or emotional difficulties in the shelter benefit from living in a home environment. Foster volunteers provide the care, attention, and training that will help these animals get adopted!

We especially need volunteer foster families for very young and newborn animals that benefit from being in a home environment. During the Spring “kitten season,” volunteers care for newborns needing around the clock care or juveniles needing a home to gain socialization skills; It’s a lot, but very rewarding when those kittens are ready for their new homes.

Our foster program is also in need for volunteers for the Animal Safehouse Program (ASP). This special program provides temporary boarding for the pets of people in crisis. For more on our ASP program.

RCHS provides everything you need from blankets and food, to training pads and medical supplies. We’ve got you covered at NO COST TO YOU. Our foster program is extremely flexible, so don’t worry about vacation plans or other scheduling conflicts.  Fosters commit to a few days to a few months depending on the animal(s) in need. All you need to give is a little TLC!

How to become a foster:

  1. Fill out an application, click HERE.
  2. Attend an orientation to learn more and decide if fostering is right for you.
  3. Wait for the right foster fit.
  4. Give love, affection and attention. Take the animal to medical visits or meet-and-greets with potential adopters. Transport the animal to offsite adoption events, as needed.

For more information, please contact foster@sdpets.org.

TEEN FOSTER PROGRAM

Rancho Coastal Humane Society offers a hands-on opportunity for teens who want to help homeless animals and earn service hours for school or an organization. This is a great way to gain responsibility while learning about animal care!

We are looking for teens and their families who care about animals and would be willing and able to foster pets in their home. The average length of time for each foster assignment is four to six weeks. (Fosters commit to a four-week minimum unless a shorter foster stay is arranged ahead of time with our foster coordinator).

The Teen Foster Program is open to teens who meet these requirements:

  1. Care about and want to help animals.
  2. At least 15 year-old.
  3. Parent approved as an RCHS foster, who is willing to oversee and help.
  4. Attend required training.
  5. Must have reliable transportation for vet appointments or meetings with the foster coordinator.
kitten-teen-foster

How to get started:

  1. Parent and teen fills out our teen foster application (be sure to mention the Teen Foster Program!) Click HERE.
  2. Once approved, parent and teen must attend orientation and complete assigned training. 

Teen must complete:

  • Daily log of weights, feedings, observations, etc.
  • Attend follow up/vet appointments
  • Create animal(s) bio at the end of each assignment

Filling out the application and attending orientation does not guarantee a foster assignment. Foster homes are on an as-needed basis and availability of foster animals varies.

For more information e-mail
foster@sdpets.org