Foster

Become a foster parent!

You can make a difference in the lives of our animals by providing a temporary home for them. Cats and dogs of all ages can benefit from being fostered! It’s a great way to prepare them for adoption by giving them a chance to live in a home where they can fully express their personality, work to overcome fears, or recover from trauma.

Kittens and puppies in particular need a home until they are big or old enough to be spayed or neutered. It gives them the opportunity to thrive in a stress-free family setting, become socialized, work on their behavioral skills, or recover from illness or injury.

Before you get started:

Make sure that you can provide the time and attention needed to successfully care for an animal in your home.
Make sure that you have a space in your home where you can separate Heidi’s Village animals from your pets.
If you rent your home or apartment, confirm that your lease agreement allows pets and your landlord is aware of your plans.
All fosters must have access to reliable transportation and be willing to drive to our shelter for appointments.
You must be able to communicate with our staff by e-mail and have regular access to a computer or Internet device.
Since the type of care required depends on the age and health of the animal you take home, you should familiarize yourself with the different types of animals that need to be fostered below.

Ready to become a Foster Parent? Get started from home with our Virtual Foster Orientation!

Virtual Foster Orientation

Bottle Babies

Bottle babies are between newborn and 4 weeks old and need to be bottle fed every 2-3 hours day and night for the first couple of weeks. They may stay in foster care for up to 8 weeks.

Gruel Babies

Gruel babies are between 3 ½ weeks and 4 ½ weeks old and need to be fed every 4 – 6 hours. They may need to be in foster for up to 6 weeks.

Weaned kittens and puppies

Weaned kittens and puppies are between 5 weeks and 8 weeks old and are eating on their own at this stage. They need canned food twice a day and always need access to dry food and water. These kittens and puppies may be in foster for 2-4 weeks.

We require that the foster parent will take at least two kitten or two puppies. They do need friends to play and socialize with! We may occasionally have an opportunity to foster just one at a time.

Moms with babies

Moms will need to be fed canned food several times during the day. She always needs access to dry food and fresh water. As for the babies, mom will feed and clean them. Mom and her babies are fostered as one group, regardless of the number of babies she has.

Medical Foster

This type of foster focuses on cats and dogs with specific medical needs. They need a little help before they are ready for adoption.

There are many reasons an animal may need medical treatment, so depending on the reason, medical foster can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to six months.

Examples include: Recovery from an injury or surgery, Valley/Tick Fever or Allergies.

Behavioral Foster

This type of foster focuses on cats and dogs who have behavioral issues in a shelter environment that could stand in the way of them being adopted.

The purpose of this type of foster is to get a better idea of an animal’s behavior in a home environment and to work on the behavior to increase adoptability.

While working with a behavior foster, you will be able to consult with our behavior team for guidance and tips.