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Preparing your home for fostering
PAWS foster care volunteer application

What do foster care volunteers do?

PAWS foster care volunteers (also called foster parents) provide temporary care for kittens, puppies, cats and dogs in their greater-Seattle area homes. Some animals only need a home for two weeks, others may need three months. By offering your time, energy, and home to an animal in need, you prepare the animal for adoption into a permanent, loving home. PAWS is always looking for foster homes, especially throughout the busy spring and summer seasons. The more foster parents we have, the more lives we can save.

Three of the most common reasons for animals to be selected for foster care are:

1. Kittens and puppies are too young to be spayed/neutered.
2. Cats or dogs who are nursing their litter of kittens or puppies and need to raise them in a home environment where they can all receive proper socialization.
3. Cats and the occasional dog who are being treated for an illness such as upper respiratory infection or kennel cough and require daily medications and TLC.

PAWS provides veterinary care and medicine for foster animals and lots of support to foster care volunteers. Foster care volunteers provide time, shelter, and lots of love.

How foster care works:

1. PAWS receives an animal who is not ready to be put up for adoption, and needs immediate foster care.
2. Foster homes are contacted. If you are called to foster an animal and cannot do it for any reason, we will find another foster home and call you the next time. It's always okay to say you are not available.
3. The animal goes to the foster home until ready for adoption. You may need to bring the animal to PAWS to get checked periodically by the PAWS veterinarian or to receive any necessary vaccines or treatments.
4. The animal is returned to PAWS for adoption. Animals coming out of foster care are spayed/neutered unless already done so, and then placed up for adoption right away.

If you have any questions, please contact fosterintern@paws.org or 425.787.2500 x822.