Open your heart and home
Foster Care
Foster care saves lives. By opening your home temporarily, you help animals recover, heal and prepare for their forever homes.
Why should I become a foster carer?
Foster carers are the backbone of our rescue operations. Without foster homes, we simply cannot save as many animals. By fostering, you're providing a safe, loving environment where animals can recover from trauma, illness, or surgery, and learn to trust humans again.
Many of the animals that come into our care need time to decompress and heal – something that's difficult to achieve in a shelter environment. Foster homes provide the peace, quiet, and individual attention these animals need to flourish.
Foster care is also incredibly rewarding. You get to witness an animal's transformation from scared and uncertain to confident and ready for adoption. You're literally saving lives and giving animals a second chance at happiness.
Animals That Need Foster Care
Pregnant Animals
Expecting mothers need a quiet, stress-free environment to give birth and raise their babies safely.
Mothers with Babies
New mothers and their offspring need a calm environment during those crucial first weeks of life.
Medical Recovery
Animals recovering from surgery or illness need a quiet place to heal with monitoring and care.
Behavioural Rehabilitation
Some animals need help learning to trust humans again or basic house training and socialisation.
Emergency Care
When shelters are full or animals need immediate help, foster homes provide life-saving temporary accommodation.
Senior Animals
Older animals often struggle in shelter environments and thrive in the comfort of a loving foster home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Foster periods vary depending on the animal's needs. It could be a few weeks for a healthy animal waiting for adoption, several months for a mother with babies, or longer for animals requiring medical treatment or behavioural rehabilitation. We'll always discuss the expected timeframe with you beforehand.
Homeless Hounds covers all veterinary expenses and provides food, bedding, toys, and any other supplies needed. You'll have 24/7 access to our support team and experienced volunteers for advice and assistance. We also provide training and resources to help you succeed as a foster carer.
Foster carers have first option to adopt their foster animals! Many of our volunteers have become "foster failures" – and we couldn't be happier. If you decide to adopt, you'll go through the same adoption process as any other applicant to ensure it's the right match.
While experience is helpful, it's not essential. What matters most is your commitment, patience, and willingness to learn. We provide comprehensive support and training to all our foster carers, regardless of their experience level. We'll match you with animals that suit your comfort level and experience.
Ready to Start Fostering?
If you're ready to make a difference in an animal's life, we'd love to hear from you. The application process helps us understand your living situation, experience, and preferences so we can match you with the right animals.
We have separate application processes for dog and cat foster carers, as the requirements and considerations can be different for each type of animal. Choose the application that best suits your interests below.
Dog Foster Care
Foster dogs of all ages, from puppies to seniors. Perfect for those who enjoy active companionship and daily walks.
Cat Foster Care
Foster cats and kittens, including mothers with babies. Ideal for those who prefer quieter companions and indoor care.
Have Questions?
If you'd like to learn more about fostering before applying, or have specific questions about the process, we're here to help!
What Homeless Hounds Provides
Medical Care
- All veterinary expenses covered
- Health checks at a Homeless Hounds-approved vet's advice
- Emergency medical care when needed
- Desexing before adoption
Supplies & Support
- Food and bedding provided
- Toys and enrichment items
- Training and guidance throughout
Every Animal Deserves Love
Your foster home could be the bridge between an animal's difficult past and their bright future. Together, we can save more lives.
Foster care: where healing begins and hope is restored.
Your help gives homeless pets a second chance
Whether you adopt, foster, volunteer, or donate, every action helps us save more lives.
Donations over $2 are tax-deductible