Join Our Foster Family!
Open Your Heart & Home To Homeless Pets In Need
Every pet deserves a second chance, and you can be the hero that makes it happen!
Our foster program provides vulnerable pets—like tiny kittens, healing pets, and special-needs companions—the love and care they need to thrive.
Whether you’re providing a quiet space for a mama cat and her kittens, helping rehabilitate a homeless pet after surgery, or housing a litter of rambunctious puppies until they are ready for adoption, you’ll play a vital role in saving lives. We provide all the supplies, veterinary care, and training you need to help you and your foster pets thrive. We promise you’ll feel like a pro in no time!
Apply today and be part of something truly special!
Why Foster?
Save Even More Lives: Each pet fostered in a home opens space at our adoption center to save another cat or dog – multiplying your impact!
Reduce Stress for Pets: A kennel environment can be overwhelming, especially for shy, frightened, or recovering pets. By fostering, you provide a safe, loving space where they can heal, grow and build confidence.
Prepare Pets for Adoption: Foster families play a critical role in helping pets adjust to home life, build confidence, and develop the social skills they need to succeed in their loving homes.
Personal Fulfillment: Preparing a homeless pet for adoption by giving your love, time, and companionshp is the MOST rewarding feeling, we promise!
Flexible Commitment: Whether you’re providing a quiet space for a mama cat or helping a shy pup build confidence, fostering can fit into your lifestyle.
What Types of Pets Need Foster Homes—And Why?
Many pets need extra care before they’re ready for adoption. By fostering, you provide a safe and loving environment for these vulnerable pets:
- Moms with Babies – Nursing cats and dogs need a quiet, dedicated space to care for their newborns until they’re old enough for adoption.
- Kittens & Puppies – These young lives, typically ranging from newborns to eight weeks old, require lots of socialization and hands-on care until they are ready to be spayed/neutered and adopted into a loving home.
- Undersocialized or Anxious Pets – Sometimes pets become increasingly stressed by a shelter environment, which can affect their healing, development, and even delay adoption. . A quiet, stable foster home helps them build confidence and trust, increasing their chances of adoption.
- Healing Pets – Dogs and cats recovering from surgery, illness, or injury need a calm place to rest and regain their strength.
Things To Consider Before Fostering
Fostering is an incredibly rewarding experience, but it’s important to make sure it’s the right fit for you and your household. Here are a few key things to consider before opening your home to a pet in need:
Time Commitment
Foster pets need daily care, attention, and socialization. Plan to spend at least a couple of hours each day caring for them.
Work & Lifestyle
Many foster volunteers balance full-time jobs and fostering, but pets should not be left alone for more than 6-7 hours per day. If you have other pets or young children, consider how a foster pet will fit into your routine and ensure you have a plan for safe, supervised interactions.
Proximity to SPCA-NN
Foster families should live within 30 minutes of our adoption center in case of medical needs or emergencies.
Caring for Puppies & Kittens
Young pets require extra space and attention. Puppies may not sleep through the night and can be vocal, much like human babies. Nursing moms require a quiet, enclosed space away from other pets to rest and feel secure.
Potential Messes & Wear-and-Tear
Foster pets are still learning and may have accidents, scratch furniture, or create messes. Patience and sensible management are key!
Medical Care
All veterinary care is provided by SPCA-NN. Foster families must bring foster pets to designated check-ups and treatments as needed.
Foster Period Commitment
The length of time a pet needs fostering varies, typically ranging from 2-4 weeks. Committing to the full duration helps ensure the best possible outcome for the pet.
Pet Safety & Health Precautions
Unvaccinated pets, such as young puppies, cannot not have contact with unknown animals or be taken to public areas
Emotional Readiness
Saying goodbye can be tough, but knowing you’ve helped prepare pets for their loving home makes it all worth it. In rare cases, fostering may involve caring for critically ill pets, so being emotionally prepared is important.
How It Works
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Fill Out a Foster Application
Tell us about your home, experience, and preferences so we can match you with the right foster pets—ones you’ll be excited to help!
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Set Up Your Volunteer Profile
Our volunteer portal helps us track the lifesaving efforts of our amazing foster community. It also ensures you have access to valuable resources, ongoing support, and future volunteer opportunities.
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Complete Your Foster Onboarding
Through our foster hub, you’ll complete a self-paced learning path tailored to the type of pets you’ll be fostering. This will prepare you with everything you need to provide the best care possible.
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Get the Call
When a pet in need matches your availability and experience, we’ll reach out to see if you’re ready to welcome them into your home!
Learn More About How Fostering Saves Lives!
Foster FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Want to know if welcoming a homeless pet into your home is right for you? Check out our most frequently asked questions to help you decide if this opportunity is a good choice for you and your family. If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact us at foster@spcanevada.org.
We’ve got you covered! SPCA-NN provides all essential resources based on the animal’s age, needs, and dietary requirements. This includes:
- Nutritious food tailored to their needs
- Food and water bowls
- Linens, blankets, and bedding
- Litter and litter-related supplies
- Medication
- Veterinary Care
While we always appreciate foster caregivers who contribute supplies, we want to ensure that cost is never a barrier to fostering.
The primary foster caretaker must be at least 18 years old. While we love when families work together to care for a foster pet, it’s essential that the adult foster volunteer takes full responsibility for the animal’s well-being. The pet’s care cannot be delegated solely to children or minors. Ensuring the pet’s needs—such as feeding, exercise, medical care, and socialization—are met is the responsibility of the adult foster.
Fostering a pet when you have children or other animals at home requires careful consideration. Many foster pets have unknown health and behavior histories, which is important to consider before bringing them into your home. Your personal pets must be up to date on vaccinations and spayed/neutered before bringing a foster pet home. Additionally, some foster cases, such as a mom cat with kittens, will require a separate space like a spare bedroom or bathroom to ensure they don’t come into contact with other pets. If a particular foster animal may not be the right fit for your household, our Foster Coordinator will work with you to find the best match.
All veterinary care for foster animals, including vaccinations, deworming, and spaying/neutering, is provided by SPCA-NN. Only our in-house team is authorized to perform medical treatments or approve outsourced care.
We make every medical decision with the emotional, mental, and physical well-being of our foster animals in mind. While these decisions may not always align with personal preferences, our expert Pawspital team and Foster Coordinator work together to ensure the best possible outcomes.
Our team helps match foster pets to your home based on your lifestyle, experience, and interests. Whether you prefer playful puppies, mellow adult cats, or have experience with special medical or behavioral cases, we work with you to find the best fit. We’ll ask about your home environment, availability, and comfort level during the onboarding process to ensure a successful and rewarding foster experience—for both you and the pet!
The timeline varies based on when you complete the onboarding process and whether we have a suitable animal for your home. It could be as quick as a week or take a few months, depending on factors like the time of year, the level of need, and your availability. We understand that many new fosters are eager to welcome a pet right away, and we love that enthusiasm! However, finding the right match takes time, and we appreciate your patience.