Become a Foster
Can you love and nurture a pet until we find it a forever home? Fosters, along with Volunteers, are the reason why our rescue has been able to save thousands of pets since 2005.
Foster families provide temporary care for adult cats, kittens, adult dogs and puppies. Some animals need as little as a day or two in your home, while others may need care for an extended period of time. Your help as a foster is essential to our success. By offering your time, love, energy and home to an animal in need, you will save their life and prepare them for adoption into a permanent home. Anthem Pets does not have a facility and we rely on foster families to care for animals that enter our system. We are always looking for more foster home since the need to save pets is so great.
We are in the very busy KITTEN SEASON when there is an urgent need for fosters to care for litters of kittens, moms with kittens, pregnant moms, and neonatal babies. Neonatal kittens are newborn to 4 weeks of age, and caring for them can be rewarding, but also a 24-hour job. There is a reason that they are known as “Bottle Babies”, since they must be fed every 2 – 6 hours depending on their age. They must also be kept warm and dry, and this level of care takes enormous dedication.
Fosters receive instruction, continuing support and are provided with all supplies. You may be asked to take them to the vet, but their veterinary care is paid by our generous donors. Click to read more about fostering.
If you would like to join this group of animal lovers or you need more information, please contact us in one of the following ways: send us an email at Rescue@AnthemPets.org, text or call 480-287-3542 or fill out a foster application for dogs or for cats.
A great resource is our private Facebook group, Anthem Pets Volunteers & Fosters where you can keep up with our rescue efforts. If you see a pet you want to foster comment on the Facebook post or send a direct message to the group. Please check out the helpful Foster FAQs below. Thank you for making our rescue work possible!
FOSTER FAQ’s
LOVE your Foster
Your job as a foster with Anthem Pets is to show the pet love and to care for them like they were your own pet. You are welcome to work on basic commands, and gently discourage unwanted behaviors (e.g. biting, jumping up), but they don’t need to be “perfect”, they need to be showered with love.
We don’t know their PAST
Often pets come to us who are lost, abandoned, or surrendered and we don’t know their past traumas. It is always best to NOT take dogs to a dog park or on walks, since we don’t know how they will react to other pets or people. If we have behavioral info, we’ll tell you up front. Note: Puppies should never be taken to public places until their vaccinations are complete.
Take it SLOWLY
If you have your own cat or dog, take time, and make a slow introduction to the new foster pet. You may want to isolate the foster for the first day to let them decompress a little bit. It is incredibly stressful and scary for a cat or dog to be lost, found, and transported.
Assume the pet is NOT house-trained
Typically, puppies and kittens are not house/litter box trained when rescued, so when we post for a puppy or kitten foster, assume that is the case.
When rehoming a mature dog, we usually get info that we can share, but things may change when they get to you. Even adult cats can have litter box issues under stressful conditions, so start with the assumption that the foster pet will need a little work. Please don’t place your new foster dog or cat in a room with your new, expensive carpet or furniture until you get to know them.
Be sure YOUR pets are VACCINATED
If you have pets in your home and are thinking of fostering, please make sure your animals are up to date on their vaccines. This is especially important if you are going to be fostering puppies that may have an illness we don’t know about. Older dogs that are current on their shots are usually in no danger.
Be honest about ISSUES
If you are fostering a pet that has behavioral issues that haven’t improved with time and attention, please tell your Anthem Pets contact. We can arrange for training and evaluation or even a medical exam. Please communicate with us so we can work together.
PICTURES, pictures, and more pictures
As a foster you are responsible for providing great pictures of your foster pet, and short videos are welcome. These are essential to getting your foster adopted. Please send pics and videos to your Anthem Pets contact.
A GREAT Bio
In addition to pictures, a great description of your foster will help get them adopted. Tell people all about your cool foster cat and how he sits with you while you work, or the funny antics of your foster dog. People read the pet descriptions because they are looking for a good fit. Please include details such as their energy level, favorite toys, or games, if they get along with kids, cats, or dogs, are shy around men, or if they just love everyone!
