Foster

Our goal for shelter animals needing a foster home is to find a temporary home while waiting to be adopted. There are many reasons why animals at CAHS need foster homes.

Some common problems that shelter animals face include intestinal parasites, Upper Respiratory Infections (URI), Parvovirus (dogs)/Panleukopenia (cats), Ringworm, and Lice. The good news is most of these common problems are easy to remedy with the help of our wonderful foster homes!

Intestinal Parasites are often no big deal, easily treated, contained by washing hands often, spread by fecal to oral route, with some not even being contagious to humans or other species besides its own. It is common to see worms and/or blood in feces with intestinal parasites.

URI is again, often not a big concern, as it is very common for animals to get “common colds” in a shelter environment. These animals are on medications that often reduce/eliminate the spread within days, and are easily treated if spread to resident animals.

Parvo/Panleuk are a bit more concerning! Resident pets are at low risk of catching if vaccinated. These are urgent, emergency cases where fosters are needed right away to get the animal out of the shelter. They require basic supportive care after they are evaluated immediately at an outside veterinary clinic for initial care.

Ringworm is not a worm! It is a fungus that, unfortunately, is very contagious to other animals and humans. Best if these fosters are confined to one area that can be easily cleaned daily. Twice weekly baths in Lyme Sulfur solution.

Lice is not the kind of lice humans get! Cat lice is species-specific and is fairly easy to treat, consisting of 3 treatments of a topical flea/tick prevention called Frontline. It is a good idea to wash bedding daily to kill lice nits.

Please read the following terms carefully. By signing this Foster Application, I understand and agree to abide by the following terms:

• I agree to return calls and emails regarding my foster pet within 24 hours.
• CAHS is the owner of the animal(s) during foster care.
• The animal(s) will be returned to CAHS upon request or at the end of the foster agreement.
• All foster animals will return to CAHS for medical care including vaccinations, deworming, and physical exams. I will not take my foster animals to another veterinarian or give over the counter treatments without prior approval from CAHS.
• My foster animal(s) will receive appropriate indoor care. I will not allow my foster pet off-leash in a non-fenced area.
• CAHS is unable to reimburse Foster Volunteers for any expenses incurred while fostering animals.
• The foster animal(s) in my care cannot be given away, sold, or relocated to another home and are only available for adoption through the CAHS normal adoption procedures.
• If necessary, I will allow a CAHS representative to visit my home to examine a foster animal.
• I understand that CAHS cannot guarantee the health of foster animals and that there is a possibility that the animals may have illnesses that can be spread to other animals and humans.
• I understand that there is a possibility that a foster pet may be euthanized if it develops a severe illness or behavioral issues as determined by CAHS staff.
• I agree that I will keep my resident pets current on vaccinations and other preventative care, and I will notify the Foster Supervisor if my pet develops a contagious illness.

Please be patient! We know you are excited to begin fostering, but reviewing and processing applications may take up to two weeks!