Foster

Fostering for Cabot Animal Support Services

Our Foster Care Program asks community members to open their doors to our animals who need some TLC outside of the shelter. Fostering is one of the most important ways you can help the animals of Cabot Animal Support Services. The shelter is a stressful place so foster homes are invaluable when it comes to identifying a dog or cat’s true personality! Foster homes are the stepping stone to helping shelter pets find their forever home.

Why should you become a foster parent?

We believe that every animal that enters our shelter deserves to have the best possible chance at finding a loving, permanent home. A foster parent has one of the most important jobs at the shelter. Foster parents allow our animals to receive the proper care and attention they deserve as they wait for adoption. As a foster parent you’ll not only save the lives of animals in your care, but you’ll give other animals coming into the shelter who may not need the same level of medical attention, a space on our adoption floor to find their own loving homes. If those aren’t enough reasons to become a foster parent, consider these:

Foster animals are temporary companions offering their love freely
You’ll be helping to socialize a shelter animal so they become more adoptable and better companions
You can put that spare bedroom to good use
Fostering helps you explore many different breeds of dogs and cats
If for some reason you can’t keep a full-time companion animal, fostering for short time periods is an ideal solution
You’ll know that you’re making a huge difference in the lives of your fosters and other animals at the shelter

Guidelines to Foster

We love our fosters! Any individual, family, or business with the compassion and willingness to help animals-in-need can serve as a foster parent. You don’t need to have previous animal experience to become a foster, just a love of animals and a willingness to learn. We do, however, have just a few requirements.

Foster parents must be at least 18 years of age
Foster parents must fill out a Foster Hero Form
Foster parents must be interested in and willing to help find a forever home for their foster pet.
Foster parents are encouraged to participate in adoption events and networking to find potential adopters.

Interested in Fostering?

If you would like to foster for CASS, please fill out our online Foster Hero Form.

Methods of Fostering

Learn about all of our pet fostering options!

Foster Until Adoption

We have cats and dogs who need a loving home until they are adopted. As a “Foster Until Adoption” foster, you get to understand your foster’s personality, advocate for them, and even facilitate an adoption!

ResQ Foster

Some of our shelter pets get tagged by rescue and will head out on transport on a certain date. These dogs and cats just need a place to hang out until they load up on the transport van. Typically, short term foster is anywhere between two and four weeks.

Sleep Over

(dogs only)

Such a fun option! You can take the dog out of the shelter for an overnight or weekend long sleepover!

Hounds on the Town

(dogs only)

Take the dog out on a little outing. This can be on a walk, home to play in the yard, take a quick trip through Home Depot, or even just to drive through McDonalds!

Adoption Ambassadors

The shelter’s new Adoption Ambassador Program is similar to foster care, but goes a step further. Adoption Ambassadors provide temporary homes for select pets, which will be spayed or neutered and given their preliminary vaccinations before arriving in their temporary homes. But unlike foster families, Ambassadors will help maximize their pets’ availability and exposure. Each dog will leave with a bright colored “Adopt Me” vest so that while they’re in parks and other pet-friendly venues, the public will see that the pet is looking for a forever home.

Any questions?

Please call (501) 628-5900 or email.