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Our organization relies on foster homes, often referred to as haven homes, to care for our animals. The number of animals we are able to rescue directly depends on the amount of haven homes that we have and as always, the amount of donations we receive for their care.
What is involved?
If you are interested in fostering, there are some important things to consider. If you have pets in your home, they all have to be up to date with their vaccines and must be spayed or neutered. In addition, cats must have been combo tested. This is for mutual protection for your pets as well as your fosters.
You may choose what type of animal you would agree to foster. Our most common foster animals are cats/kittens and dogs/puppies. We occasionally foster ferrets, bunnies, guinea pigs and other small animals.
Once you have spoken with an ASL representative and are accepted as a foster home, you will be contacted as soon as there is an animal in need of a home. Don’t expect to wait long! The haven home coordinator will tell you as much as he/she knows about the animal. You will always be given the choice to accept or turn down the animal.
The haven home coordinator will arrange a meeting time to pick up your new little foster. A pet carrier will be provided with the animal if you don’t have one, along with the necessary supplies such as a litter box, scoop, litter and food for cats, food for dogs and a crate if needed.
You will be given instructions on what is necessary to do when bringing in a new animal. They need to be kept isolated from other animals until they have had their first vet appointment to ensure they are healthy and don’t carry any illnesses that other animals may catch. This also helps with the adjustment period that animals have when introduced to a new home.
Your responsibility as a foster care provider will involve taking your little one for his/her vet appointments as needed. ASL will instruct you what appointments your animal will need. ALL VET COSTS ARE COVERED BY ASL. If you anticipate transportation difficulties, let ASL know. We have volunteers who can help with this.
In addition to providing a loving home for your foster, it is important that your animal be shown on adoption day as much as possible. THIS IS KEY TO GETTING OUR ANIMALS ADOPTED. This involves bringing your foster to one of the adoption locations on Saturdays or Sundays. Current locations are Petco in Pittsford on Monroe Avenue and Petsaver Superstore in Greece in the Stone Ridge Plaza. We recognize that our volunteers may not be able to do this every weekend however we do require at minimum of two weekends per month. Remember the more frequently your animals are shown the better the chance that they will get adopted. You may drop off your foster at one of the locations, you don’t have to stay. Arrangements may be made to have your foster transported to adoption days if this is a problem.
If someone is interested in adopting your foster, they will need to complete an application. An ASL representative will review the application and conduct the interview. As the foster, your opinion matters! You will know your foster the best and know what type of household he/she will do best in. (I.E. with other animals, children etc). If it appears there is a good match then you, the ASL representative and the adoptive family will arrange a time and place to complete the adoption. Don’t worry about “the empty nest syndrome”. There is always another animal in need of a foster home!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. What if my pet doesn’t get along with another animal?
Prior to becoming a haven home, ASL will ask you about your current pets. They have extensive experience in knowing what type of pets will get along with others. For example, if you have an older cat in your household already, it may be recommended that you get a kitten as older cats will usually tolerate kittens. In addition, ASL can help educate you on the best way to introduce your new foster to a household to make the transition the most successful.
2. How do I get supplies for my foster (food, litter)?
ASL will provide you with the food that your particular foster needs. You can contact your haven home coordinator to arrange pick up of any supplies that you need.
3. What if my foster gets sick?
Call your haven home coordinator and he/she will help you in scheduling a vet appointment.
4. What if I have fallen in love with my foster animal?
You can adopt him/her at any time.
5. What if I can no longer foster?
Contact your haven home coordinator. Attempts will be made to help get your fosters adopted or placed in other foster homes. When deciding whether to foster or not, consider how long of a commitment you can make. It is ideal if you can continue to foster until your animal gets adopted. It is hard on our animals every time they have to move to a new home.
If you have any further questions or are interested in being a haven home please call ASL @ (585)342-6099.