Foster Volunteer

FOSTER VOLUNTEER 
OPENING YOUR HEART AND HOME 

Foster volunteers with the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society’s Provincial Foster Care Program provide a temporary, safe and nurturing environment by taking care of animals in their homes. This program offers animals the chance to thrive in a home environment as living in an animal centre can be stressful for some animals. 

And for you? Love and companionship, a short-term commitment, and that incredible feeling you get knowing you are truly making a difference!   

We primarily rely on foster homes for animals who:   

  • Are recovering from surgery, injury, or completing a round of medication
  • Too young, sick, or injured to thrive in the centre or to be adopted yet
  • Under-socialized or too emotionally stressed to thrive in an animal centre environment

THE IMPACT YOU MAKE 

  • Help animals in need until they can find their forever homes
  • Improve their overall quality of life
  • Increase their chances for adoption and decrease their length of stay at the centre
  • Reduce the spread of diseases 
  • Increase our ability to help more animals and people 
  • Make a difference in the life of every animal you foster 

THE BENEFITS TO YOU 

  • All the love and companionship of an animal without the financial or long-term commitment!
  • Learn new skills
  • Knowing you made a difference in an animal’s life
  • Getting involved in your community! 

POSITION REQUIRMENTS 

  • 18 years of age or older 
  • Previous experience caring for animals 
  • Access to reliable vehicle for transportation
  • Ideally, no other pets in the home (primarily cats and dogs), or a segregated area such as a spare room or finished basement to foster animals.
  • Provide a safe, healthy, and happy environment for the foster animals and follow all animal care plans as outlined by the animal centre or Animal Behaviour Coordinator (eg: administering required medications [pills, eye drops, ear drops, liquid medication, etc.] and/or medical treatments [bandaging, wound cleaning, physical rehabilitation exercises, etc.]
  • Follow positive reinforcement training techniques provided by the animal centre or the Animal Behaviour Coordinator
  • Ensure safe interaction with people and other animals, both inside and outside of the home:
    • Foster animals are not to be left alone with children under the age of 16
    • To keep the foster dog and other dogs safe, please do not visit dog parks without prior approval 
  • Other animals in the home must have up-to-date vaccinations 

JOIN OUR VOLUNTEER TEAM TODAY!