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Foster Care

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We are always on the lookout for enthusiastic, compassionate people who would like to help give an animal a chance at a safe and happy life.

 

Foster carers provide much-needed love and support for animals who need temporary care prior to being returned to their families. Our carers are unique individuals who dedicate their time to nurturing and loving animals that need it most. One of the most rewarding experiences for these carers is seeing scared, confused and sometimes abused pets gain confidence and learn to trust once again.

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For some foster carers, the experience of fostering an abused or neglected animal can be even more rewarding. These animals are in desperate need of human contact and to the special few fostering these animals, the experience can change their lives.

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Thousands of animals are cared for by dedicated foster carers each year. As this number continues to grow, it is necessary now more than ever to recruit new foster carers to add to our foster family network. 

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Every animal in a foster home is one less animal that needs to be placed in the shelter, creating greater capacity for our shelter to be able to assist those that can not be placed in foster care for numerous reasons. 

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What Animals Are Fostered?

  • Puppies that need a bit more growing time before they can be desexed.

  • Dogs and cats that aren’t coping in the shelter environment and need to be in a home. They may just need a break away from the kennels or they may need to stay in foster until they are able to be returned to their owners.

  • Convalescing animals that need some time to recover from illness or injury.

  • Animals with behavioral problems who need some form of rehabilitation.

  • Legacy animals that are waiting for their owner to return home from a hospital stay.

  • Legacy animals that have had their owner pass away and are awaiting adoption.

  • Animals that need a safe haven while a domestic violence situation is dealt with.

  • Animals that have to be evacuated immediately from an emergency situation e.g. floods, bushfires, cyclone, earthquake.

 

To Become a Foster Carer;

  • Be over 18 years of age.

  • Read through our FAQs page.

  • Complete the Foster Carer Application form.

  • Provide copies of your own dog and cat vaccination certificates and, if renting, written permission to have animals from the home owner or real estate agent.

  • Allow a visit by one of our volunteer property checkers to double-check the suitability of your home.

  • If all requirements are met, wait to be matched to a suitable animal.

  • If fostering an adult dog, attend a “meet and greet” with your new foster animal, bringing along your own dogs and all children in the household.

  • Sign a Foster Carer Agreement form for every new animal you foster.

 

What I should be aware of when thinking about Fostering?

 

It is difficult to predict what types of animals we will have that require time in foster care, on a day to day basis.

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As such, if you only have 4ft fences or only want to foster puppies and toy/small adult dogs, your wait might be considerable. Further, if you are signing on to foster kittens, please be aware that outside of cat breeding season (the cooler months), there are relatively few kittens requiring foster care. 

 

Our greatest need at the moment is for carers who want to foster medium to large sized adult dogs, that require 5-6ft fences, often no young children or other dogs in the home.

Download the editable PDF and return by email to dhmdogs@gmail.com

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