Transform a Life: Become a Foster for Animal Friends
We rely on our dedicated foster families to help rescue and rehabilitate more animals. By providing specialized, round-the-clock care that a shelter can't offer, our fosters extend our reach and support more animals in need.
Foster families play a crucial role in caring for dogs, cats, and rabbits at Animal Friends, including:
- Pregnant mothers or mothers with babies
- Bottle-fed or orphaned babies
- Medical care
- Behavior training
- Cage breaks
- Kennel space
- Hospice care

Foster Volunteer
Animal Friends cares for more than on our campus at any given time.

Ready to become a volunteer foster?
All interested fosters must attend our Getting Started Orientation to become an official volunteer. Read our requirements and start your volunteer application here.
Foster FAQ
Of course! Individuals with pets at home are more than welcome to foster. Animal Friends will require a copy of the rabies certificate for any cats or dogs living in the household, as well as a copy of the RHD vaccines for any rabbits. For dogs, Animal Friends may require an onsite meet and greet with the resident dog to ensure that the foster is a good match.
Yes! Animal Friends provides all necessary supplies such as food, litter, hay, medications or prescription diets needed to begin fostering. Fosters are also welcome to purchase their own supplies, but it is not required.
The length of foster often depends on an animal's specific needs. While some foster periods can be a few days or weeks, some may need more time in foster for months or years. We are happy to work with you to see what works best for you, your schedule and your family!
Many of our volunteers fall in love with their foster pets and simply cannot part with them at the end of the foster period. Fosters receive right of first refusal for adopting any foster pet in their care, so long as there are no Humane Investigations holds, custody issues or outstanding medical or behavioral needs.
Hospice Fostering
Providing Compassionate End-of-Life Care for Animals in Need
Animal Friends is proud to offer a unique foster program designed specifically for residents in need of hospice care. We call this our “Fospice” program—where foster care and hospice care come together.
This program provides compassionate end-of-life care for our senior and medically fragile residents who may have limited time left. These animals often face incurable illnesses, life-threatening conditions, or age-related challenges that make finding them adoptive homes difficult. Instead, our Foster Department matches them with loving "fospice families" who offer a warm and caring environment, without the financial burden of medical costs.
While fostering is typically a temporary commitment, these animals become long-term members of their new households, under the ongoing support and guidance of Animal Friends, where they can live out their final days receiving the best care possible.

Our Fospice Animals
Support Our Hospice Program
Interested in Becoming a Fospice Foster?
If you’re interested in learning how you may be able to foster for our hospice program, check out how to be a foster parent above. As always, medical care and supplies are provided free of charge to all of our trained fosters.

Donate
We invite you to consider sponsoring the care of our hospice residents. Your donations to the Fospice Fund will help provide the comfort and care these animals deserve in their golden years.