The Community Service committee’s goal is to serve the greater Austin community, and although we love getting together for our volunteer events, we wanted to share other volunteer opportunities outside of events. If you’re a dog or cat-lover, considering adopting a pet in the future, or looking for an at-home volunteer opportunity, fostering might be for you!
Austin is a no-kill community, which means that three main shelters, the Austin Animal Center, Austin Pets Alive!, and the Austin Humane Society, do not euthanize any animals in order to create more space in their shelters. But this means that our shelters are often full and that animals are often paired up in kennels or staying in temporary kennels in conference rooms, making it more difficult for staff to manage animals and get them adopted. Austin no-kill environment is part of what makes our community great, and as committed volunteers and Austinites we can provide relief for our shelters and pets by fostering.
Fostering an animal from a shelter is a great way to provide the shelter valuable information about the pet (they often act much differently when relaxed and at home rather than in a shelter kennel), create more space for shelters to take in new animals, and spend time with animals if you’re unable to commit to owning a pet yourself.
Plus, fostering a pet is a great way to earn volunteer hours! Volunteers earn two hours per day for every your keep a shelter pet, which means that only 5 days of fostering puts you in double digit volunteer hours for the month. And that’s just 5 days of hanging out with a sweet dog or cat!
Interested in fostering? We asked some YWA fostering pros what they wish they knew when they started fostering, so they could pass that information on to you and make your fostering experience even better!
Beginner Foster Tips:
- Start with just one pet, and preferably a pet that’s older, more relaxed, and doesn’t have medical needs. Save the more difficult foster pets, like puppies and kittens or pets with medical issues, for when you’re more experienced and comfortable with the routine of fostering.
- Figure out the foster routine that works for you and your schedule. Most shelters are happy to have fosters take pets for just a few days and feel free to take breaks between pets as needed. Even a few days gives a shelter pet a much-needed break and shelter staff are understanding when it comes to your life and schedule. Start small and work your way up!
- Pet-proof your house or apartment! Bringing an animal into your home can be a big disruptor, so make sure that your home is safe for you foster pet and protects your home from chewing puppies, scratching kitties, or other accidents.
- Select the pet you want to foster by spending time with them at a shelter and ask shelter staff or other experienced volunteers for guidance. There’s a lot to consider when bringing a shelter pet into your home so it’s best to spend time with the animal first to make sure it’s the right fit for you, even if it’s only temporarily. Shelter staff and experienced volunteers are a great resource to learn more about shelter pets, and will likely be able to connect you with a pet that works with your home and lifestyle.
- Follow shelters like Austin Animal Center, Austin Pets Alive!, and the Human Society on social media. That will help you find opportunities to learn more about fostering and learn more about available pets. And it means more cute animals in your social media feeds!
