What does it mean to ‘foster’ a dog or cat?

Fostering means providing a temporary home for a dog or cat. Many dogs and cats end up in a shelter and need a home, and fostering provides a temporary home for that animal until it can be adopted. Fostering helps the pet by letting it live in a home instead of a shelter.

What am I responsible for when fostering?

You are responsible for providing loving care to your foster animal! We provide you with everything you may need: crate/bedding, leash, collar, harness, food, etc.! If this is your first time fostering, we’ll be there to provide helpful guidance if you need it.

How long do I need to foster?

We prefer if you can foster until your foster pet gets adopted, but we understand that life events may change for you. Kittens and younger dogs may get adopted within 1-3 weeks, whereas older dogs and cats may take more time before they get adopted.

What if I have cats and dogs already? How do I know everyone will get along?

We will work with you to make sure that everyone is kept safe! There are slow introductions that can be made between dogs and between dogs and cats to ensure happiness and safety to all involved.

I want to foster but I’m worried about becoming too attached to the dog/cat.

We very much understand that! One thing to remember is that your foster dog will go to a loving home when adopted! You may miss your foster pup but knowing that he’s living a good life —-and that you were such an important part of that process—is the key thing to remember!

How do I choose my foster dog or cat?

Contact us and we can tell you all about the dogs and cats we have that need to be fostered. We also work with the following shelters, so if you see any dogs or cats available, we may be able to take them to ARF.

• Bradford County Animal Services

• Union County Animal Service

• Levy County Animal Services