Become a Foster

Bottle feeding orphaned kittens is so rewarding and literally saves their lives. — Bottle-feeding orphaned kittens is so rewarding and literally saves their lives.

Temporarily opening your home to an animal allows our shelter to take in more animals that need help. In addition, fostering offers one-on-one attention and loving comfort that only a home setting can offer, which is precisely what some animals need to heal. During an animal’s stay in a foster home, we can learn if the animal is house/litter trained, good with children and other animals, and the personality traits of each foster animal.

As a foster volunteer, you may host animals with special medical or behavioral needs, mother animals with nursing litters, or underage animals who need special feeding and socialization, like puppies or kittens. By fostering an animal, you are providing rehabilitation in a nurturing home environment, directly preparing them for adoption into a loving home. Humane Society of Manatee County is proud to provide all the necessary training, supplies, and support you will need to care for your foster animal. This includes food, bowls, bedding, leashes, collars, toys, cat litter, medications, and veterinary care.

The length of foster assignments varies based on the needs of the animal. You will receive an approximate duration before you commit to an animal. Some of our youngest foster animals need around-the-clock care including feedings every 2-3 hours while other foster animals can be left at home for up to ten hours at a time. We will match you with a foster assignment that works with your schedule, availability, and interests.

Little Falla Bella was fostered for several weeks before she was ready for adoption.

Please remember that fostering is a temporary situation and letting go of one’s foster pet enables you to help another in need. There is no denying that it can be difficult to part with an animal that you have grown to love as a foster, but the satisfaction of knowing that you helped save a life is a very rewarding experience. Although each adoption saves a life, a great foster parent can save many lives by socializing and rehabilitating pets that need a little extra time and care to be ready for a forever home.

If you plan on fostering “bottle babies” kittens or orphaned kittens or puppies too young to eat solid food, please email fosters@humanemanatee.org to schedule training.

If you are interested in becoming a foster, please complete the application or CLICK HERE to download the paper foster application and agreement. Please return the completed form by emailing fosters@humanemanatee.org or in person by stopping in at our Second Chance Adoption Center, located at 2515 14th Street W. Bradenton Tuesday – Saturday from 10 am – 5 pm.

If you would like to prepare your own foster kit or donate to the Foster Care supply, please visit our Amazon Wish List for a list of frequently needed supplies.

One last note, foster failures happen, so yes, you as the foster can adopt the cat or dog that you opened your heart and home to. You will need to go through our standard adoption process to make it official.