Top Reasons to Become a Foster Parent

• You may want to help KHS, but can't make it into the shelter consistently.
• You can help an animal recover from illness or injury in a quiet home environment.
• You can help an animal get adapted to a home life, build self esteem and increase the chance of successful adoption.
• It gives you a pet fix without long term commitment.
• You get to evaluate the animal's health and behavior, so the potential adopter has more information about the pet, thus making a better match.
• It's rewarding to see animals' love and trust again, due to your nurturing and training.
• The animal gets a much needed cage break from the hustle and bustle of the shelter.
• Fostering provides much needed socialization for young animals.
• You can observe the difference a non-shelter environment makes.
• Foster One, Save One: When animals are placed in foster care, more shelter space opens up for us to rescue more animals.

How To Become A Foster Parent

KHS is expanding our foster care program and is in need of foster volunteers! By taking a foster animal into your home on a temporary basis, the animal is given the opportunity to adjust to a home environment, given additional time to find a permanent home and more room is available at the shelter for another in need.

Becoming a foster parent is easy! The length of fostering can vary from a few days to a few months depending on the amount of care and behavior modification needed. The devotion and care during this time allows the animal a second chance for adoption to a loving home.

Animals are in need of foster care for the following reasons: Much needed time away from the kennel environment, medical care, hospice care, kennel space, behavior, bottle baby care, pregnant moms or moms with puppies or kittens, orphan puppies or kittens.

If interested in becoming part of the Kitsap Humane Society Foster Network, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Fill out an application to become part of the Foster Care Program at KHS.
* Foster Care Program Application *

Step 2: Bring the application to KHS with your $15 application fee. This fee is to be paid at time of application submission and covers the cost of training materials.

Step 3: After completing the foster care application (the link above) and paying the application fee, foster candidates will be contacted by E-MAIL (please note that it may up to two weeks to receive this e-mail).  The e-mail will contain login information for access to the foster certification quiz. Before taking the quiz, please review the PowerPoint training presentation and manual (below). All foster applications must be received by our Foster Care Coordinator prior to taking the certification quiz in order to gain access. You are able to take the quiz up to 3 times and scoring a minimum of 80% is required.

Once you’ve passed the quiz, we strongly recommend attending a volunteer orientation or any of the foster program meet-ups in order to network with other foster volunteers.

Step 4: Begin getting e-mails about animals in need of a foster home.  Start fostering!

Should you have any questions, please e-mail our Foster Care Coordinator, Julie Hammer, at foster@kitsap-humane.org or contact by phone at (360) 692-6977, ext. 1207.

Download Foster Parent Manual

Download Foster Parent Training (Powerpoint)

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Links for Current Foster Parents with KHS:

Kitten Socializing  

Bottle Baby Feeding (with pictures)

Helping A Fearful Cat

Dr. Sophia Lin's Animal Behavior Blog

Fearful Dog Resources

Fecal Scoring Chart