Foster today!
What is fostering?
Fostering is offering a temporary home to animals in need, helping them transition to adoption, and providing specialized care.
Why foster?
It saves lives by freeing up space and offering one-on-one care that shelters can't always provide.
Benefits of fostering
- For the animals: it provides a home environment away from the stress of the shelter while also offering individualized care and socialization, improving their chances of adoption.
- For the foster parent: It is a rewarding experience without a long-term commitment, while also experiencing companionship and make a difference in an animal's life.
- For the shelter: helps create space for more animals and reduces overcrowding.
Types of animals in need of fostering
- Puppies and kittens: too young to be adopted and needing socialization and growth in a home environment.
- Senior pets: in need of a comfortable, quiet place to relax away from the shelter.
- Medical fosters: animals recovering from surgery or illness needing extra care and rehabilitation.
- Behavioral fosters: pets that need help adjusting to a home environment or overcoming anxiety.
Step by step process
- Apply: Fill out the foster application forms
- Schedule: a home visit
- Match: the shelter will match you with a suitable animal based on your preferences and lifestyle.
- Take Home your Foster: pick up your foster and receive supplies.
- Regular Check-ins: attend any necessary check-ups or follow-ups
- Adoption Process: if the animal is ready, help promote them for adoption.
Check out our foster to adopt program!
Found a furry friend that you are interested in, but you are not sure if they will be the right fit in your home? Try our foster to adopt program!
- You will be given 2 weeks to get to know your foster.
- After two weeks, it will be up to you, the foster parent, if you will be adopting.
- If you are not adopting, the foster must be returned to the shelter as soon as possible for their chance at getting adopted.
- If you are going to adopt your foster, please let us know as soon as possible as well.
- The adoption fee will still apply to our cats and dogs who are in our foster to adopt program, they all come spayed/neutered; microchipped; and vaccinated.
- Lastly, you get a friend for a lifetime!
Already in the foster program? Ready for your next foster?
Check out our Trello board
Our Trello board will be updated when there is a new furry friend in need of fostering. This page is always updating. To check out who is in need of fostering just click on the following link by clicking the picture and once you found your next foster contact our foster coordinator to schedule a pick up!
Sponsor a foster
Can't foster but want to help? Check out our Sponsor a Foster Program
Make a difference by supporting our foster program. Your donations help provide essential care, supplies and medical treatment for animals in a foster home, plus more! Give them a chance to thrive while they wait for their forever families! Send us a message by clicking the button below.
We hope you had a BALL!
Because of our amazing supporters, we met our goal of $100,000.. and then some!
We couldn't do this without the support from our amazing community, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you.
-Animal Rescue League of Marshalltown