With the help of an amazing group of foster volunteers, the Mobile SPCA Foster Care Program gives animals who are not yet ready for adoption a chance to live and be loved in foster homes. Through this exciting partnership between our staff and Mobile area foster volunteers, we are able to:
- Reduce the amount of time an animal lives in the Adoption Center
- Accept more animals into our Adoption and Transport Programs
- Increase adoptions by better preparing animals to become beloved family members
- By becoming a volunteer foster caregiver, you’ll get the chance to spend QT with some tiny kittens, teach a dog how to love and be loved, or watch an injured kitty get back on her feet thanks to your care and attention. It’s an immensely rewarding experience you’ll never forget, and it saves animals’ lives in a very direct way.
The Mobile SPCA relies on foster homes to house and provide temporary care for the dogs and cats in or almost ready for our adoption or transport programs. A foster home or foster parent is an individual, couple or family who provides temporary care, shelter and love for a MSPCA animal(s) while it is waiting to be adopted or getting ready to enter our program. Foster homes are an absolutely vital part of saving the lives of animals in Mobile; the more foster homes we have, the more animals we can save: it’s as simple as that!
Some animals come to us who are too young for adoption or transport or have an illness or injury that requires some longer TLC. Some animals may be with the foster family for several months or just a week before they are ready for adoption or transport. We also frequently have mother cats or dogs with litters of puppies or kittens, sometimes as young as a few days old! With infants, foster homes are critical because it allows them to grow stronger in a safe and healthy environment. Once the babies are old enough (eight weeks old) for spay/neuter surgery, they can be altered and go into a new home.
As a foster home for the Mobile SPCA, you always have a choice in what animal(s) you foster. Every situation is different; you must consider the other people and animals in your home, how often and how long you are away from home, what kind of time commitment you can make, etc. The foster application will help you think about some of those considerations. Some people like to start out small, with maybe one adult cat; others like to jump in head first with a mother nursing 8 puppies! Whether you are a “cat person” or “dog person,” whether you like bottle feeding kittens, big dogs, sick dogs or needy cats, there are animals that fit your capacity.
We are always here for your support. The Mobile SPCA provides all necessary veterinary care for your foster animal, as well as dry food. Another part of your responsibility as a foster parent is to bring the animal to our off-site adoptions, in for scheduled vaccinations and back in time for transport.
Our success hinges on your success as a foster, and the animals are much more likely to find new homes if they are happy and well-adjusted in their foster homes.
If you are interested in foster, please fill out the foster application and e-mail it to us at spca@MobileSPCA.org.
ADOPTION LOCATION
