Foster Care

Share a Little Bit of Your Love

Fosters are the backbone of Kitsap Humane Society. For every animal who is housed on campus and ready for adoption, there are twice as many who need a foster home to… well, call “home.”  It might be the big dog who is stressed out by kennel life and just needs a short break in a happy home. It may be the newborn kittens who need to be bottle- or syringe-fed until they’re grown enough to fend for themselves. Or it could be any one of the multitude of furry friends who need a safe place to recover from surgery.

Whatever the situation, foster families are key to our success and that of the critters we care for. Short- and long-term volunteer fosters are desperately needed and we know you have a little love to give. Learn more below – and make a positive and lasting impact on an animal’s life!

And if you want to support our foster department even more, check out our Amazon wishlist!

Kitsap Humane Society needs Foster Care Volunteers year round! Join us in saving lives.

Why Foster?

Foster homes are needed to provide temporary homes for animals whose current medical or behavior conditions are not manageable in a shelter setting. 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 recover from any current medical conditions in a comfortable setting, and provides more room at the shelter for another animal in need. Foster care is needed year-round for:

  • Kittens and puppies
  • Adult cats and dogs
  • The Pet Protection Program – offers a temporary safe haven for cats belonging to victims of domestic violence, people experiencing job loss, homelessness, or other unexpected life changes. Learn more about the Pet Protection Program here.

How it works

What it takes

Fostering a shelter animal is a wonderful, rewarding experience, but can also be time-consuming and hard work.

Although previous fostering experience is not required, the ideal foster parent will have basic knowledge of animal care and training, as well as a desire to find their foster animal a safe, loving forever home.

As a foster parent, you will provide your animals with care, including food, water, shelter, litter, training, and trips to Kitsap Humane Society for medical treatment when necessary.

The length of foster care commitment varies widely based on each animal. Some animals may only need a couple weeks of foster care; other animals may need many months of foster care. The length of time can depend on the animal’s age, medical issues, or adoptability.

What you get

Kitsap Humane Society provides Foster Parents and their foster pets with all the basic needs, such as food, bottles, litter, toys, blankets, and medical care. If requested, we can also pair new Foster Parents with an experienced Foster Mentor who can provide one-on-one support. Specialty supplies such as crates, hooded beds, and treats are donated items and we supply them when possible.

Become a Foster Parent!

To join Kitsap Humane Society’s Foster Care Program, please:

1

Complete the Foster Care Application.

2

Allow up to two weeks for the Foster Team to review and process your application. Once the application is processed, you will receive an email link to the Online Foster Orientation.

 

3

After you’ve completed orientation, pick your pathway! You can learn about how to quarantine your foster animal, how to clean your space once they’ve been adopted, dog behavior, kitten feeding and health, and much more.

 

4

When the core training modules are complete, we’ll add you to our outreach email list and invite you to a few other cool foster-specific resources. Welcome to the family!

Requirements for the KHS Foster Care Program:

  • Foster Parents must be 18 years old (Youth applicants ages 16 and 17 years old are welcome with legal guardian’s written permission. Parents must fill out paperwork and complete trainings alongside the youth applicant).
  • All resident dogs and cats must be up to date on vaccines.
  • If interested in fostering a dog and have dogs at home, you must bring resident dogs into the shelter with you to meet with each potential foster dog to avoid any major personality clashes.


footermap
Kitsap Humane Society

9167 Dickey Road NW
Silverdale, WA 98383

Phone:
(360) 692-6977
Fax:
Our fax is currently disabled.
Please email general correspondence to customerservice@kitsap-humane.org
For clinic communications, please email khsvet@kitsap-humane.org
For Public Records Requests: please email ncherry@kitsap-humane.org

 

Kitsap Humane Society is a 501(c)(3)organization.
Tax ID Number: 91-0728353

Adoption Hours
Monday:
Noon – 4 pm
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday:
Saturday:
Sunday:

Closed
Noon – 4 pm
Noon – 4 pm
Noon – 4 pm
Noon – 4 pm
Noon – 4 pm

Walk-through viewing is available from noon to 5 pm every day except Tuesday. Adoptions close at 4 pm.

All adoptions are first-come, first-served. We are closed on major holidays.

Stray Animal Admissions Hours

Every day: 11 am – 4 pm (closed 1:30 – 2 pm)
Feral cats/cats in traps: By appointment only.

 

Owner Surrenders & Private Euthanasia

By appointment only.

Pet Reclaim Hours

Every day: 11 am – 5 pm

Pet Food Pantry Hours

Every day: Noon – 4 pm

 

Search our site