Humane Society of Southern Illinois started our foster care program in order to give young, injured, abused, undersocialized, and sick animals a chance to grow & heal in a home environment that can’t be duplicated in a shelter. The goal of the program is to help more animals find permanent, loving homes!
Foster Application
We now have an online foster application. Please fill it out as completely as you can, and we’ll contact you when we’ve had a chance to review it.
Foster Care Guidelines
The following information is a guideline to help you understand what is required of foster caregivers.
Thank you for thinking about sharing your home with a foster animal. Without the help of foster caregivers, we would be forced to turn away some animals that need special care or attention.
Humane Society of Southern Illinois started our foster care program in order to give young, injured, abused, undersocialized, and sick animals a chance to grow & heal in a home environment that can’t be duplicated in a shelter. The goal of the program is to help more animals find permanent, loving homes!
Fostering is an incredibly rewarding experience that requires a real commitment. The emotional aspects of fostering can be challenging and should be discussed with all family members. Oftentimes it can be difficult to see the animal leave your home for their new forever home. The wonderful part of providing foster care is knowing that you played a crucial role in getting them there. If you feel that you might not be able to handle a particular situation from start to finish, please discuss any concerns with shelter staff before taking an animal into your home.
Foster parents must be at least 21 years of age. If you rent your home or apartment, we will need to contact your landlord regarding verification and permission that you are allowed to have pets.
Veterinary care is paid for by the Humane Society of Southern Illinois, provided you take your foster animal to specific veterinarians, which we have established a relationship with. Even in the case of an emergency, please contact the shelter before seeking medical care. Emergency contact phone numbers will be provided.
Food is provided by the foster caregiver. We may request that certain foods be fed to your foster animal. Some animals have specific dietary requirements for health reasons. Keep in mind that a healthy foster animal may not eat at first. They may be frightened, nervous, etc. For the same reasons, they may experience loose stool or diarrhea in the beginning. Please be patient and keep us up to date on any issues that may occur during their stay with you.
When introducing an animal to a new environment, do so gradually and use great care. Remember that the animal may be frightened and could bit, run away, scratch, or cower in a corner. Depending on the animal and its history, there may be issues with housebreaking, spraying, chewing, barking, or other unwanted actions. Please be forewarned and animal proof your home as much as possible. HSSI cannot be responsible for this type of damage.
If you already have pets of your own, they must be fully inoculated against all diseases to ensure their own protection. If you are fostering an expectant or nursing mother, no attempt should be made to mingle them with your own animals since mothers will fight to protect their young. If you plan to have your foster animal mingle with your own animals, keep in mind that introducing an animal to other animals presents possible problems depending on the temperaments and pecking order of the resident animals. Be sure to discuss this with a staff member before taking home each foster animal.
If you have children, we request that you monitor their contact with a foster animal at all times. We cannot guarantee any animal’s behavior and this will help to protect both the child and the animal. Foster animals are under a lot of stress and do best in a quiet environment as much as possible.
NO FOSTER ANIMAL IS ALLOWED OUTSIDE UNATTENDED OR UNRESTRAINED. If you feel you CANNOT provide this, please know that the foster animal’s life will be compromised. NO CAT SHOULD EVER BE ALLOWED OUTSIDE FOR ANY REASON UNLESS IT IS IN A CARRIER.
We require a completed foster care application and interview before we can approve you as a foster caregiver. We encourage you to ask questions and keep us updated on your foster animal’s progress. We thank you for your willingness to share your life, love, and home with a foster animal. It may well be the most important thing to happen in their life. We hope your life will be enriched by this experience, as well.