CVRR FOSTER PROGRAM
Foster homes are the heart of our rescue and the cornerstone to our ability to save lives. CVRR doesn’t have a physical facility. Instead, all of our animals live in foster homes. Why do we prefer foster homes? In a home environment, we’re able to personally get to know each animal: how they are with kids, other pets, crate training, what they like or don’t like.
We provide all the supplies and medical care, all you have to do is provide a loving home. The more fosters we have, the more animals we can intake and find homes for. We pull animals from local, overcrowded shelters. We intake stray cats and kittens from the streets and through our Trap-Neuter-Return program. We intake owner surrenders. We receive requests almost daily to intake more animals, and with new fosters, we can.
TYPES OF FOSTERS
There are many different types of fosters, including temporary fostering; our foster coordinators will work with you to find the right match. We most commonly need foster homes for kittens, puppies, cats & dogs, but we do sometimes need foster homes for other furry critters as well (i.e. rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets, birds, reptiles, etc.).
DOGS
Short-Term Fostering
Temporary Foster
We have many instances where a temporary foster home is needed for dogs or puppies. When a long-term foster family goes on vacation or travels, they need a temporary foster home for the animal(s) to stay during that time. We also have dogs or puppies that come into care but simply need somewhere to stay for a brief time period until we can get them to a foster home or shelter.
Recovery & Rehabilitation Foster
Occasionally, we have situations where a temporary foster home is needed to help a dog or puppy recover or rehabilitate after surgery.
Safe Haven Respite Care
CVRR’s Safe Haven Respite Care program helps pet owner who are facing hardships, and for whatever reason, are in need of a temporary foster home for their dog (usually 30-45 days). The goal of our Safe Haven Respite Care program is to help families stay together.
Long-Term Fostering
Dog Foster
CVRR dogs lives as temporary family members in foster homes while they wait for the perfect family to adopt them. Fostering a dog in need is extremely rewarding and gives the dog the opportunity to live in a home environment where the foster can really get to know the in-and-outs of the dog and determine the right adopter match.
Puppy Foster
Foster homes are truly the best environment for puppies to grow and thrive until they are old enough to be adopted as beloved family pets.
Bottle Feeder ~ Puppies
Orphaned neonate puppies are perhaps the most fragile and most desperate for foster care. Without a mama dog to care for them, the foster takes on the role as their mama; bottle feeding at regular intervals, stimulating to potty, keeping warm, monitoring and providing TLC.
Mama Dogs + Puppies
When a pregnant dog or new mother and her litter come into our care, placing them into foster care is critical to ensure that the babies stay healthy and learn proper socialization skills.
Unicorn Foster
A “Unicorn” is what we call a dog with a special set of circumstances: they may need extra training, may need a home without children or other animals, or may have behavioral quirks that need one-on-one attention. These are usually dogs who shut down in a shelter setting; fostering gives them a chance at finding a forever home.
Seniors & Hospice Fostering
Senior and hospice dogs are some of the most special and most deserving cases in need of of a foster home. The foster home provides care, support, and love to either a senior dog while they await a forever home, or a dog who has received a terminal illness and must spend their remaining time in a loving foster home.
CATS
Short-Term Fostering
Temporary Foster
We have many instances where a temporary foster home is needed for cats or kittens. When a long-term foster family goes on vacation or travels, they need a temporary foster home for the animal(s) to stay during that time. We also have cats or kittens that come into care but simply need somewhere to stay for a brief time period until we can get them to a foster home or shelter.
Recovery & Rehabilitation Foster
Occasionally, we have situations where a temporary foster home is needed to help a cat or kitten recover or rehabilitate after surgery.
Safe Haven Respite Care
CVRR’s Safe Haven Respite Care program helps pet owner who are facing hardships, and for whatever reason, are in need of a temporary foster home for their cat(s) (usually 30-45 days). The goal of our Safe Haven Respite Care program is to help families stay together.
Long-Term Fostering
Cat Foster
CVRR cats lives as temporary family members in foster homes while they wait for the perfect family to adopt them. Fostering a cat in need is extremely rewarding and doesn’t require much time of effort! After a short quarantine period and initial vetting, foster cats can be integrated into the household with other pets. Some cats come into care directly from an owner already vetted.
Kitten Foster
Foster homes are truly the best environment for kittens to grow and thrive until they are old enough to be adopted as beloved family pets.
Bottle Feeder ~ Kittens
Orphaned neonate kittens are perhaps the most fragile and most desperate for foster care. Without a mama cat to care for them, the foster takes on the role as their mama; bottle feeding at regular intervals, stimulating to potty, keeping warm, monitoring and providing TLC.
Mama Cats + Kittens
When a pregnant cat or new mother and her litter come into our care, placing them into foster care is critical to ensure that the babies stay healthy and learn proper socialization skills.
Special Needs Foster
Whether they are spicy kittens who need socialization, cats recovering from surgery or injury, cats with a specific medical concern or cats who simply need a calmer environment, cats with special needs benefit from living in a quiet, non-stressful environment where they can thrive.
Seniors & Hospice Fostering
Senior and hospice cats are some of the most special and most deserving cases in need of of a foster home. The foster home provides care, support, and love to either a senior cat while they await a forever home, or a cat who has received a terminal illness and must spend their remaining time in a loving foster home.
FAQs
Why do we prefer foster homes over a big fancy facility? When people ask about adopting an animal they want to know how he is with kids….not just on a walk but immersed in the world of toddler. Does he chew like a termite on every rattle and blinking toy? Will he respond in an unforgiving way when a clumsy toddler steps on his tail? Who is he really under all that fur and drool? Try as they might to temperament test and analyze a shelter animal, there are some things best assessed in a home environment. That’s where we come in.
We take in dogs and cats from shelters who have no choice but to euthanize for space, and give them a second chance at adoption. Some animals are so nervous in shelters that the general public would never get the opportunity to see what an amazing animal he really is. Many cats and kittens are rescued off the streets and need socializing and extra TLC. Fostering allows an animal to live as temporary family while they wait for their forever family.
The same standards we uphold for adoption apply to our foster families. Resident animals need to be up-to-date on vaccines (both for their protection & ours). Monthly heartworm and flea/tick prevention is absolutely imperative to maintain your pet’s overall health. We require kittens and long term foster dogs to be kept primarily as indoor pets. They should be loved and spoiled just as you would love your own. We don’t require you to attend every adoption event but occasional attendance is smiled upon. Good communication is a necessity. We assign a seasoned mentor to every new foster family to help guide you every step of the way.
Time – foster families should spend time with their foster animals everyday. Most of our foster families work full time jobs and live full lives while also fostering. When you are going out of town, we can arrange a temporary foster home or many of our foster families utilize their pet sitters. Spending time with your foster animals is vital to learn about their personalities, help them gain confidence, and monitor their overall health.
Room – you don’t have to have a fancy setup or a dedicated foster room, but having enough space for your foster animal(s) should always be considered. A fenced-in yard is not required for fostering dogs but is always nice to have. Crates and supplies would be available to you – for many animals all you need is a little extra space for a crate. Each of our foster families have their own unique setup and can help provide lots of creative ideas.
Patience – helping foster animals settle in initially takes some time and patience. To fully adjust to a new environment and routine, it takes about 2 weeks. Kittens and puppies will naturally test your patience. Some of the animals we intake will inevitably have medical or behavioral problems that won’t have an immediate solution. There is a lot of trial and error with tricky cases.
Heart – one thing we all share at CVRR is our compassion and love for the animals. A loving home helps an animal truly flourish. A gentle rub helps calm an anxious animal’s fear. Encouragement, reassurance and praise helps an animal gain confidence. Snuggling and human warmth can help an animal feel loved.
That’s okay! We are happy to provide for all your foster’s needs. That includes any veterinary visits for illness. Heartworm and flea prevention, crate, blankets, food, litter and a leash and collar (dogs) are provided. Sometimes toys and bowls are even available. Some of our foster homes utilize the resources we offer, others provide their own as a donation to CVRR. We keep some medications and vaccines on hand, and have trained volunteers and veterinary technicians to help save our costs. We also have a gas reimbursement program available to volunteers for CVRR transports.
We try our very hardest to make sure the match between canine/feline & foster home is good before taking the animal into our care, and we provide you with all the tools necessary to navigate through common problems. But in the event that the issue cannot be resolved, we try to find alternate placement, or in the worst case, return the animal to the shelter. I can count on one hand the number of times an animal has been returned to the shelter (& still have leftover fingers). We allow our foster homes a great deal of control over what animal comes to their home. You know your environment & needs best, so we think you are the best one to put in the driver’s seat when it comes to selecting the right animal. For this same reason, YOU will have the final say of who adopts your foster animal. All we ask is that you follow through with your commitments to your animal(s) unless it’s not possible.
I don’t know a single foster parent who didn’t think they couldn’t do it at some point in time. Do we love our foster animals? Yes. Does it hurt when they leave? Most of the time. Do we cry? Sometimes. Why do we keep doing it over and over? Ask every one of our foster homes and you will get a different answer. For many, they let them go so they can save another. They have seen the overcrowded shelters, and doing nothing just isn’t an option. Some thrive on the absolute JOY adoption brings to the new family…that moment where you just put the last piece in the puzzle ….watching them walk away with their brand new family member. A glimpse at the first moment in an amazing adventure.
Over the years I have developed a huge appreciation for the service we provide for families who have to surrender animals. For some of them, it’s the last thing they want to do. Illness, death, loss of their home has left them powerless and devastated with no options. The thought of their beloved animals ending up in a shelter is too much to bear. Our offer of a foster home while the animal waits for permanent placement is often the only bright spot in their life. We even have a few homes that foster just because their own resident dog likes the company (or in the case of separation anxiety – needs the company) but they cannot responsibly take on another pet.
Whatever the reason that motivates fostering, the outcome is the same: a life saved, a family transformed.
We don’t believe in sugarcoating things here. Fostering isn’t for everyone. If it would destroy you to have a lamp cord chewed, a pair of shoes annihilated, listening to a distraught & lonely puppy howl deep in the middle of the night on her first night in care, consider a different form of volunteer work. Puddles will happen, muddy paws will jump on you, counters will be surfed upon. Kittens will have accidents outside the litterbox, blankets may need several cycles in the wash, pet beds may get destroyed.
If your tolerance for disaster is minute, we try to find animals that are already house trained, adults who may be less inclined to be the puppy version of the Terminator, but we have been wrong before and we will be wrong again…not to mention even good dogs require some degree of patience and training.
I have fostered hundreds of dogs. Some were angels…I couldn’t figure out why anyone would have ever let them go. Others were like a one man teenage lacrosse team hopped up on Red Bull. Good or bad, we are here to support you. To encourage you. To talk you off the ledge when you are frustrated or unsure. I can promise you this: no matter the animal, it will be worth it in the end.
Young puppies & kittens, small breed dogs, and specialty breeds average 1 month. Most other animals average 3 months with the exception of APBs, seniors, & large hounds, which tend to take closer to 6 months to find the right home. Shy animals or those with medical conditions may take longer. Taking pictures and sharing funny stories for social media will usually decrease the amount of time it takes to find the perfect home. Frequent attendance at adoption events are also helpful. Despite the “average,” some animals inexplicably take longer. Some animals have taken as long as a year and a half. Adoptions have a tendency to ebb and flow throughout the year. Occasionally, we do offer adoption specials.
First, fill out a foster application. Next, we will email you a hold harmless form to sign, foster manuals and resources to help get you started. Then, we will contact you to schedule orientation. After that, a foster coordinator will work with you to find a good foster match for you and your home. Foster animal candidates are frequently posted in our volunteer group. Fostering supplies are provided to you.
If you have questions, we would love to talk with you more!
Email us – info@cvrrescue.org.
