The Brant County SPCA is proud to find homes for hundreds of animals in need every year, and one of the programs that is crucial to our success is fostering. Juveniles, sick or injured animals, and animals with behavior issues can make up a significant portion of our intake, and for various reasons it is better for these animals to spend time in a temporary home, rather than in the oftentimes stressful shelter environment.
Without foster parents opening up their home to these animals in desperate need of comfort and security our capacity to provide care for them would be severely compromised. Becoming a foster parent means you are becoming an integral part of our organization, and are helping to save the lives of animals who ended up in the shelter system through no fault of their own.
Please note, you must be 18 years of age or older to foster. Please scroll down to fill out and submit our Foster Form today!
FOSTER ON DECK – This program was set up so that when we get an animal or group of animals (e.g. litter of kittens), that require a foster home, we call out to our registered homes to ask them to take them as fosters. The length of time of the foster placement will vary depending on the needs of the animal(s) in question. Examples include: Pregnant cat/dog-they are typically pregnant for about 2 months. Once the mother gives birth the kittens/puppies will need to be about 10 weeks old before we can spay/neuter them and place them for adoption so the time frame for fostering would be 3-4 months; Orphaned kittens/puppies will depend on their approximate age when they arrive, again they need to be about 10 weeks old before we can spay/neuter and adopt them out; Medical Cases-the term of foster will depend on the length of the treatment and how the animal responds to treatment. The foster ends when the veterinarian in charge of the case clears the animal for adoption but minimum is about 2 weeks.
FRIENDLY FINDER – This program was set up to enable us to make temporary foster homes at the home of the finder of the animal(s). The length of the foster term is consistent with the Foster’s on Deck, the difference is that we do not expect the family to continue fostering other animals once the initial animal(s) get placed for adoption. Please note that should the foster family decide they want to adopt their foster, they are given first option to adopt.
FOSPICE – This type of foster can be the most difficult yet rewarding. From time to time an animal comes into our care that, due to serious health issues, cannot be placed up for adoption. Provided the veterinarian feels the animal can be kept comfortable, we place them into a fospice home to live out whatever time they may have left. Again, the Brant County SPCA would provide any medications that the veterinarian deems necessary. This type of foster ends when either the animal passes away, or if the animal becomes so ill that there is no quality of life for them. In the case of the later, we would arrange for the animal to be humanely euthanized.