Foster Program
Foster Application
Active fosters needing to schedule their appointments, please email foster@adltexas.org.
Why Foster?
Foster parents provide temporary homes for animals who are too young for adoption or need time to recover from a health issue. Fostering a shelter animal can be a very rewarding experience! Placing these animals into foster homes not only helps with their growth and recovery, but also opens kennel space so we can save even more pets. Our network of fosters helps save the lives of over 1,000 animals a year! Upon completion of the foster term, all ADL foster animals return to ADL where our adoption team will work diligently to find each cat and dog their forever home
What it Takes
The ideal foster care provider has basic animal care knowledge and a desire to provide a loving temporary home for a needy pet. ADL provides training to those who would love to help but may lack experience. Those who foster will provide pets with food, water, shelter, loving attention, and trips to our clinic for medical treatment when necessary. ADL provides all essential supplies and materials.
Embark Foster
EmBARK pets are fully vetted – spayed or neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, and ready for adoption! We provide everything a foster volunteer needs. We don’t expect volunteers to help find an adopter for the pet unless they choose to market their foster.
Medical/Neonatal Foster
We’re always looking for new foster parents (18 or older) to join our Medical/Neonatal foster program. In most cases, our animals stay in foster care for 2-4 weeks. We will provide everything you need to care for the animal, including food, medication, bedding, a crate, etc.
Other ways to help
If you can’t commit to fostering, but would like to support our program, here’s our wish list:
- Zip Lock Bags (gallon size)
- Baby Wipes (unscented)
- Pee Pads
- Esibilac or KMR Formula
- Kitten bottles (Brand: PetAg or Four Paws)
- Puppy bottles (Brand: Lansinoh baby bottle)
- Heating pads – NO Auto shut-off/timers
- Blankets and towels
- Shallow food dishes
- Newspaper
- Food scales
- Miracle nipples (short tip)
- Heating Disks (Brand: Snugglesafe)
- Nebulizer (Brand: Schuco by Allied)
- Kitten/puppy toys
Shop from our Amazon Wish List
Not able to drop-off your donations? That’s okay! We also have an Amazon.com wish list of what we urgently need for foster care. Shop from our wish list and have amazon ship your donation directly to the shelter!
View our foster wish list.
Foster FAQs
- What is a foster home? A foster home is a loving temporary home that has basic knowledge of animal care and provides food, water, shelter, loving attention, and trips to our clinic for rechecks and medical treatment when necessary.
- What does the Animal Defense League of Texas provide to its fosters? All supplies needed to care for your foster(Food, toys, blankets, puppy pads, litter, litter boxes), all medical care approved by our medical team, baby sitters for when you go out of town, and general assistance with caring for you foster.
- How long should I expect to foster? The length of fostering needed will depend on what the pet’s needs are. We have both kittens and puppies that are flexible with most people’s schedules, and bottle-fed kittens and puppies that require feedings every two hours. We also have adult cats and dogs who are lower maintenance. Often, they will be okay if left for the day while you work, if they have access to food and fresh water.
- How old do you have to be a foster? Candidates are eligible to foster at the age of 18.
- What is my role as a foster? Provide a safe, clean, and loving environment. Provide food and fresh water. Monitor and report any medical concerns, transport to and from recheck appointments at our animal hospital. Follow all instructions that the Animal Defense League of Texas provides.
- Can I foster if I have a pet? Absolutely! Most of our foster homes have resident pets.
- Why does my foster pet need to be isolated for 10-14 days from other personal pets/fosters? All pets receive a routine medical examination for common illnesses and are given a full work up upon arrival including but not limited to vaccines, dewormer and flea and tick prevention. The isolation period ensures that your foster is not carrying any hidden illness that are possibly transmissible to other animals. This also allows for your personal pet to get acclimated with your foster pet, by scent. A bathroom or spare room works just fine for this isolation period.
- I think my foster has gotten my personal animal sick; can I bring them to the ADL hospital for treatment? Unfortunately, no. As a shelter, the ADL can only legally provide veterinary care to its residents. This is another reason isolation for 10-14 days is recommended for your foster and personal pets.
- How can I see the kittens and puppies available for foster? Once your foster application has been approved you will be added to our foster email list. Foster pleas are generally sent out Monday through Saturday with a list of everyone who is available for foster. You can also check out our Waiting for Foster page.
- Who do I contact if I want to be a foster or have questions about fostering? You can reach us by phone at 210.655.1481 ext. 123 or 106 and by email at foster@adltexas.org.
Foster Emergencies
Please click HERE to view the ADL Foster Emergency Levels
Foster emergency during operation hours:
- Email the foster team at foster@adltexas.org or call (210)655-1481 ext. 106 or 123.
- Come to the ADL hospital immediately! Do not wait for a response.
Foster emergency after hours:
Email the foster team at foster@adltexas.org and title the subject EMERGENCY
When emailing, please provide as much information as possible including pictures, appetite/energy levels, stool consistency (ex: soft/watery) color of discharge, and current weights if able. Providing this information will allow us to begin treatment much sooner.