Welcome to the Inland Valley Humane Society & S.P.C.A. Foster Care Program!
Our Foster Care Program allows our organization to give hundreds of animals a chance to find their forever home. Your help will save the lives of many animals that are either too young or too sick to be kenneled with the rest of the shelter population due to limitations of space and resources.
Before you apply
I.V.H.S. asks that you adhere to all of the following requirements before applying to become a foster.
- Please ensure that all members of the household are OK with fostered animals in the home. If you rent, check with your landlord to see if you are allowed to have pets.
- Pets will need to be brought in for vaccine boosters prior to surgery – at least 2 visits back to the shelter after pick up.
- Pets may need to be seen by our vets in the event of illness. These exams can only be done Monday – Friday.
- Vet Services is closed on weekends. Pets will need to be picked up and dropped off Monday – Friday.
- If you are applying to help us with bottle babies, please be prepared to pick up within 2-3 hours of being contacted. Bottle babies require feedings every few hours until they are able to eat on their own.
- We understand that things come up and in the event of emergency we are here to resume care of the pet(s). However, once a foster is in your care the foster must be cared for the entire duration agreed upon. Returning a foster early may lead to the pet falling ill. The goal in fostering is to help the young pets stay healthy. Please be prepared to communicate travel plans upon contact to foster.
If you are able to follow all of the requirements above, then proceed on to becoming an official I.V.H.S. foster!
We will provide you with all the necessary supplies to be a foster parent. Fostering requires a flexible schedule and a personal commitment. Although fostering is a lot of work, it is a very rewarding experience. The more you foster the more lives you save!
Because many of our dogs and cats cannot be adopted when they first arrive at I.V.H.S., the only way we can save these animals is with the help of foster homes. Our young kittens and puppies need to stay in foster care until they are old enough to be spayed and neutered, at which time they are ready for adoption. Older pets who are ill or injured may need to stay in foster care until they are well enough for adoption.
Being a pet foster family has rewards beyond the essential value of helping a pet in need find a new home. For some, it is a chance to have an animal companion without a lifetime commitment. For others, it is the special challenge of helping an animal recover from an illness or injury, the trauma of losing a beloved owner or home, or to overcome a behavioral issue. Occasionally, it’s the joy of giving extra TLC to kittens and puppies too young to be adopted.
Fosters will keep animals an average of 4-6 weeks unless it is medically or behaviorally indicated otherwise. Some pets need more time because of age, illness, injury, or behavior issues. You will be told up-front before you agree to foster the pet how long of a commitment we believe it will be.
- Provide a safe, clean, caring environment
- Provide food, water, litter, toys/enrichment, and shelter*
- Provide exercise and socialization as appropriate
- Monitor any medical and/or behavioral problems
- Transport to/from any necessary vet appointments
- Transport to/from offsite adoption events
- If the foster pet is sick, isolation from other animals in the home is required for a minimum of 10-14 days. This isolation is especially important for cats and bottle baby kittens.
*I.V.H.S. will provide the supplies necessary for each foster.