Fostering
Fostering means looking after a rescued, orphaned or recovering
animal for a short time. Choosing to foster is a great community
service. The best part is having the SATISFACTION of hearing
a purr or seeing a wagging tail and knowing you have given an
animal a second chance.
Keeping an adoptable animal temporarily
in your home is a vital step in the adoption process.
Fostering
an
animal not only improves
the chances for the animal to be seen and adopted; it also benefits
the volunteer who gets the satisfying chance to really make a
difference in that animal's life. In addition the animal gains
additional "socialisation" through your attention and
through opportunities for play.
Some animals come from abusive and neglectful backgrounds and
benefit greatly from personalised attention.
Many fostered animals
are initially timid and wary but gain confidence in a loving
and consistent environment. They are actually better off after
having been through this intermediate step, able to adapt more
rapidly and completely to their permanent homes.
If you already
have animals at home a foster animal can provide them with a
great playmate and can revitalize older animals, helping to keep
them fit and stimulated.
The foster family provides the loving
attention the animal needs. The biggest pleasure of being a foster
parent is seeing how this animal, that you have loved and cared
for, brings joy to a new adoptive family. It is inevitable that
you will become attached to your foster friend and it can be
difficult to say goodbye when he finds a new home, no matter
how perfect the new family may be.
However, this is a small price
to pay for saving a valuable life. By fostering you can save
many animals, not just those you foster, as you release resources
that would otherwise be devoted to them.
Why are foster homes needed?
Fostering in individual homes is a very significant way you and
Lamma Animal Protection can save animals' lives. As a not-for-profit
organization, there simply aren't enough funds to purchase
land and build a shelter that would be a comfortable, safe
place for the homeless and abused. Fostering gives animals
who have been strays or abused an opportunity to become a valued
member of a family.
What do you provide as a foster parent?
A safe
and loving home until the animal is adopted.
An
average time commitment of one month.
Cooperation
with LAP to arrange meetings with adoptive families.
Liaison with LAP to
provide veterinarian or medical care. Occasionally a puppy or kitten will
have a health
problem. This can be upsetting for the fosterer.
However, with care the animal nearly always recovers. In difficult cases LAP
prefers to take the animal back into our own care.
In either of these cases you may choose to remain with your foster or drop
him off and pick him up when he is ready. LAP will keep in frequent contact
for updates and observation on how things are progressing.
If you have to stop fostering or can't make an adoption appointment
you can simply call to inform the foster coordinator. Other arrangements
will then be made for your foster. Please give us at least 48
hours notice if at all possible.
