Becoming a Foster Parent
What do pet foster parents do?
Pet foster parents are very much like child foster parents, they care for a homeless pet as if he was their own until he is adopted. Shelter environments can be extremely stressful for pets, it is much more comfortable for them to stay in a home environment. They are able to get more individualized care in someone’s home as well as develop better socialization skills making them more well-adjusted pets. The foster parent is also able to learn about the pet’s personality, likes, and dislikes so that he can be better matched to the right forever home. Most importantly, pet foster parents save lives!
If you join our foster program, we will match you with a suitable pet to foster. For example, if you have a female dog who does not get along with other females, we will only have you foster male dogs. If you work full time and cannot care for young puppies, we will only have you foster adults. We train you to screen potential adopters to determine if they are a suitable match for your foster pet. You will then get to experience the joy of helping a homeless animal find a loving family of his own.
All Veterinary care is paid for by MARQ. Any trip to the Vet must first be approved by MARQ management. You provide shelter, food, transportation to and from Vet appointments, training, and plenty of love!
If you join our foster program, we will match you with a suitable pet to foster. For example, if you have a female dog who does not get along with other females, we will only have you foster male dogs. If you work full time and cannot care for young puppies, we will only have you foster adults. We train you to screen potential adopters to determine if they are a suitable match for your foster pet. You will then get to experience the joy of helping a homeless animal find a loving family of his own.
All Veterinary care is paid for by MARQ. Any trip to the Vet must first be approved by MARQ management. You provide shelter, food, transportation to and from Vet appointments, training, and plenty of love!
How long will I keep a pet?
It’s impossible to predict how long an animal will remain in foster care. Some pets are adopted within 24 hours of becoming available, while others wait weeks or even months for a home. MARQ animals stay with us for as long as it takes and we never euthanize an animal for taking too long to be adopted. If you cannot commit to this kind of unpredictable long-term care, you might wish to help in other ways. We expect our adopters to never give up on their pets, so we expect the same from our foster parents.
What if I get attached?
Getting attached to your foster pet is normal. After all, we do this because we love pets! The most common question we, as foster parents, are asked is how we can give them up. The answer is simple: Fostering saves lives. It is hard to say goodbye to a pet we’ve fallen in love with, but the alternative is even sadder. We get the satisfaction of helping a previously lost and unwanted animal find a loving forever home. That makes it all worth it! The trick is to get attached with velcro and not glue.
If you do decide that you can’t give up an animal, that’s ok too. Foster parents can go through the adoption process and pay the adoption fee just like any other adopter. The important thing is to think about is what's in the animal’s best interest. Sometimes, even if we love him, the best thing for the pet is to let him go.
If you do decide that you can’t give up an animal, that’s ok too. Foster parents can go through the adoption process and pay the adoption fee just like any other adopter. The important thing is to think about is what's in the animal’s best interest. Sometimes, even if we love him, the best thing for the pet is to let him go.
How do I become a pet foster parent?
If you feel you can help in any way, please submit an Application. If you have specific questions about our foster program, please contact our Foster Manager at [email protected]