Fostering is the practice of taking an animal out of a shelter or, in some cases, at the point of rescuing the animal, and placing them with a family to look after them. This allows the animal more space and individual attention from people who are passionate about helping more animals find their forever homes. 

The costs for caring for the animal are usually covered by the rescue or shelter, items such as food, medical care, treats, and more. However, you should talk to the coordinator about what you might need to be responsible for, so you know what to expect.

One of the biggest reasons shelters and rescues need foster placements is to free up space in their shelter, to enable them to take more animals. Another reason is to decompress animals that have been in a rescue for a long period of time, this helps them be more ready to be adopted.

Almost anyone who has fostered animals before has fallen in love with an animal they have been fostering, often times this ends up with the foster family adopting the animal, which is known as foster failing. This is a great outcome! 

Reaching out to your local rescue or shelter is the best way to get involved with fostering. You can also check to see if the shelter has a Friends of the Shelter that might coordinate the fostering of their animals. 

Things to think about before fostering: 

• Other animals in your house
• Time commitment 
• Emotional aspects 
• Animal's condition and health concerns
• Space for the new animal 
• Potential behavioral issues that may need extra patience 
• Your comfort level with different breeds and sizes of animals

Be open and honest with foster coordinators, to ensure you and the foster animal can enjoy the best placement possible.