Foster a Pet
Your Guide to Life-Saving Furry Friendship
Why Foster
Fostering pets is a crucial part of the rescue process that often goes underestimated. Fostering truly is a lifeline, offering hope, love, and a brighter future for animals in need. It's an act of kindness that not only transforms the lives of the animals but also enriches the lives of the foster families who open their hearts and homes. Join our community of foster families in making a difference—one paw at a time. Together, we can give these animals the love and care they deserve.
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By opening up space in the shelter, fostering allows rescue organizations to save more animals from dire situations. The availability of foster homes directly impacts the number of lives that can be saved.
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Fostering often acts as a bridge between shelter life and a permanent home. It gives potential adopters a chance to see how an animal behaves in a home setting, making them more confident in their decision to adopt.
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Shelters can be stressful for animals, which affects their behavior and overall well-being. Fostering provides a calm and loving environment that reduces stress and allows animals to relax, making them more adoptable.
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Living in a home environment allows animals to show their true colors, for a more accurate assessment of their behavior, personality, and quirks. This information is invaluable to find the right match for a permanent home, to ensure a successful adoption.
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Foster families provide love and companionship, which are vital for emotional well-being. The support and care animals receive helps build trust in humans and makes them more confident and sociable.
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Animals that have undergone surgery, medical treatments, or rehabilitation often need time to heal. Fostering provides a comfortable space for recovery to ensure they receive the necessary care and attention during their healing process.
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Some animals, such as pregnant pets, nursing mothers, or animals with specific medical needs, require specialized care. Fostering families with the right skills and resources can provide the tailored attention these animals need.
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Fostering is deeply rewarding. The satisfaction of knowing you played a vital role in saving a life, nurturing animals back to health, and preparing them for a loving home is immeasurable.
Foster an Adoptable Pet
Fostering animals is great way to save lives and enjoy their company without committing to adoption. All adoptable pets are available for foster for a maximum of six months. Fostering works much like adoption, except Detroit Animal Care & Control (DACC) retains ownership of the animal and you commit to certain activities to find their forever home, such as promotion on social media and/or participating in Friends of Detroit Animal Care & Control (FoDACC) adoptions events.
You will receive support from our volunteer foster team and a community of other foster families. Veterinary costs are covered by FoDACC as long as care is delivered by our vets.
Come to the shelter, choose a dog, take them home the same day, and help them find their forever home. Learn more about that process on our Adopt page.
Foster a Pet Who’s Not Yet Adoptable
Some pets who are not yet adoptable may need a foster for a variety of situations. The duration of foster commitment varies.
Medical recovery or heartworm treatment
Care for puppies/kittens too young to eat on their own
Care for dogs who struggle in a shelter environment due to reactivity or timidity.
Care for dogs with kennel cough/upper respiratory infection so they can transfer to a partner rescue or shelter.
An unforeseen shelter emergency at the shelter, such as a power outage, a tornado, flooding, a fire, a snowstorm, etc.