About AFCP | Your Role | Requirements | RCDAS Responsibilities | Additional Information | Contact Us
Introduction
Have you ever though “Wouldn’t it be great if they stayed little forever?” With our Animal Foster Care Program you can have young puppies and kittens to take care of all year long. Or if you prefer you can help save adult animals with injuries.
Riverside County developed the Animal Foster Care Program to increase the chances that animals coming in to our shelter will be adopted into permanent homes. Our goal is to adopt out as many healthy, social animals from the shelter as we can.
Many of the animals released to Animal Control are not suitable for adoption when they first arrive at the shelter. If they are too young for adoption or are sick, they can not remain in the shelter environment. Young animals will get sick and sick animals spread disease to healthy ones. Riverside County implemented an Animal Foster Care program to increase the animal's chance of adoption. Animals are released, on a temporary basis, to Animal Foster Care providers, who will care for the animal until such time as it can be spayed/neutered, eat solid food or heal from an injury or illness. Once the animal is suitable for adoption, the animal is returned to the shelter to await adoption into a new home.
Become part of our Animal Foster Care program and you could be the difference between life and death for animals that can't be adopted right away. Unfortunately, some animals that are brought in to our shelters are too sick, too young, or not socialized enough to be adopted out. They could be excellent pets, however, once they are healthy, socialized, or just plain older.
Animal Foster volunteers take these animals into their home, providing a safe environment for them to mature, become more socialized, or heal from an existing wound or illness. This can be an intense short-term commitment, but also a very rewarding one.
Need is especially great during the spring/summer kitten/puppy season, when pregnant cats/dogs and mothers with litters of kittens/puppies (and in many cases the mothers) are brought to our shelters. Until the kittens/puppies are old enough to be weaned, separated from the mother, and spayed or neutered, they cannot be put up for adoption.
With your help we can save more animals in need of foster care!
Stop by the shelter today to fill out an application!
If you would like more information on the Animal Foster Care Program contact Animal Foster Care Coordinator at (951) 358-7041
About AFCP
The Riverside County Animal Foster Caretaker Program (AFCP) has been established to assist the Department of Animal Services to uphold it's commitment that no adoptable animal be euthanized. Riverside County Animal Services developed the AFCP to increase the chances that animals coming in to our shelter will be adopted into permanent homes. Our goal is to adopt out as many healthy animals from the shelter as we can.
The Animal Foster Care Program is a tool to expand that commitment. We need volunteers who are available to foster kittens and puppies that are deemed non-adoptable because they are too young, or animals that are in need of a safe haven due to medical or behavioral conditions.
To carry out the Animal Foster Care Program - the Animal Foster Care Coordinator works closely with the Veterinary Services Division. The Veterinary Services Division determines whether animals are viable candidates for foster care and provides veterinary services to those animals that DAS has committed to the Animal Foster Care Program.
Your Role
The Volunteer Services Animal Foster Care Coordinator actively recruits and trains animal foster care families and provides a link back to the shelter for any needs the animal foster families may have. Animal foster families are provided with food, litter, medicine, formula and other items necessary to maintain the county animals in their homes.
Many of the animals released to Animal Services are not suitable for adoption when they first arrive at the shelter. If they are too young for adoption or are sick, they cannot remain in the shelter environment. Young animals will get sick and sick animals spread disease to healthy ones. Riverside County implemented the Animal Foster Care Program to increase the animal’s chance of adoption. Animals are released, on a temporary basis, to foster care providers, who will care for the animal until such time as it can eat solid food, or heal from an injury or illness, then it will be scheduled to be spayed or neutered. Once the animal is suitable for adoption, the animal is returned to the shelter to await adoption into a new home.
Fostering an animal is an added responsibility and extra work, but it is also very rewarding. First and foremost, you are helping animals survive that might otherwise not be able to be prepared for adoption because they need specialized care or attention. Fostering of young animals can give your children the chance to interact with puppies or kittens without bringing more into the world (and you may have the option to adopt one if you'd like.) You are helping to get more animals adopted and your socializing of these animals may help to make the adoptions more successful so the animals remain in lifelong homes. In short, you are doing a great service to help the animals, the shelters and society.
Requirements
Anyone over 18 can foster animals for Riverside County Animal Services. However, we require that you attend our volunteer orientation/training session. These dates are being scheduled. Please contact your nearest Foster Program staff for more information.
Attending this session will give you some basic instructions regarding how the foster program works and how to properly care for the animal(s) placed in your charge.
Care of Animals: Riverside County Animal Services expects all animals held in foster homes will be welcomed as a member of the family. Animal Foster Caretakers givers must be able to provide a clean, safe environment in which to care for the animal to prevent injury and the spread of disease. Food, cat litter, flea control, milk replacer and any necessary medications will be dispensed by the shelter.
In the event that the animal in your foster care becomes ill, veterinary staff will work with the Animal Foster Care Coordinator to assist during regular clinic hours. In all cases, you must work with the Coordinator to make an appointment prior to bringing the animal(s) to the clinic for treatment. If, however, after hours care and emergency care may be required, it is the Animal Foster Coordinators responsibility to coordinate with the foster caretakers. Hopefully, if proper guidelines are followed regarding the care of the animals, the need for such care will not be necessary.
Special Considerations for fostering dogs: We require that foster care providers of dogs have a fenced yard with some form of shelter. Additionally, a place should be provided in the home were the dog is welcome as they are social animals who crave interaction with people.
Special Considerations for fostering cats: All cats fostered from our shelter must be kept indoors at all times to prevent injury and the spread of disease. If you are introducing a new cat to a household with existing pets, keep the cat separate from the rest of the animals for a day or two so that it may adjust to its surroundings.
Responsibilities of Riverside County Department of Animal Services
Riverside County Animal Services has veterinary staff. During regular clinic hours, the staff will be available for scheduling appointments. All routine worming, vaccines, fecal exams and Feline Leukemia testing is done by the shelter Clinic for foster animals.
Animal Control officers may periodically perform home visits/inspections to address concerns/questions of foster care providers and make sure animals are being cared for properly. Appointments will be made in advance of visit.
At the end of the foster period, shelter staff will examine the animal’s health, spay/neuter the animal and if suitable for adoption, place the animal in the adoption area or an offsite location to await adoption.
Additional Information
What happens to the animal you have fostered?
When the animal(s) are healthy and old enough for adoption, they are returned to the shelter on the day of the spay or neuter appointment. After the animal has recovered from its surgery, it will be placed in the adoption area for placement into a permanent home.
If I want to place my foster animal, how do I do it?
If the Foster Caretaker family finds a home for their foster animal, they will notify the Foster Care Coordinator, Adoption Manager or her designee. The potential adopter will need to meet with an adoption counselor and fill out an adoption application. Once approved, the party can go ahead with the adoption and the spay/neuter surgery will be scheduled. Foster Caretaker providers will then return the animal at the time of the adoption appointment. The new adoptive owners will then pick up their new pet from the Spay/Neuter Clinic.
Do all foster animals get adopted?
We do our very best to place all foster animal. Unfortunately, not all foster care pets survive. Sometimes medical or health issues interfere. We will communicate with you as we together give these animals a second chance and will be open with you about the options.
How do I become a foster volunteer?
Contact Fostering staff at your nearest shelter location. |
