How does it work?
Once you become a foster parent, you’ll get access to a live list of animals who need foster care. Some are just too young to be on their own, others are recovering from a medical procedure or surgery; some are seeking a quiet place to come out of their shell, and others need to decompress outside the shelter environment. Within our foster listings, you’ll see a brief description of the animal, a photo, the estimated length of care they’ll need, whether they have any pet or family requirements, and any other details pertinent to their care.
You get to choose who you foster, then we schedule a time for you to pick them up! We provide food, a crate, medications, some toys/bedding, and any additional supplies you request. Your job is to let them unwind and provide plenty of love and care before they move on to adoption!
Got more questions about fostering? We’ve got answers! Check out our Foster FAQs here.
How to get started
Step 1
Review program guidelines
To become a foster parent, you must have all of the following:
- Homeowners or renters insurance
- Health insurance
- Must be 18 years or older
- Have reliable transportation to/from your nearest WHS campus (Milwaukee, Green Bay, Racine, Kenosha, Ozaukee, or Door County)
If you have companion animals of your own at home, all must be:
- Able to be physically separated in your home from the foster animal(s). The length of the isolation period varies based on the needs of the individual foster animal(s).
- Spayed or neutered
- Up to date on their vaccines
Step 2
Watch our online orientation video
Step 3
Fill out the foster application
Once you’ve watched the orientation video above in its entirety, please submit an application and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can!
Step 4
Foster!
We can’t thank you enough for your interest in fostering! The time you’ll spend caring for animals in need is truly invaluable and expands our lifesaving capacity.
Once you’re onboarded as a foster volunteer, you’ll also be invited to join a private group on Facebook so you can network with other foster parents, ask questions, trade tips, share updates, or simply boast about how great your current foster animal is doing! Despite volunteering independently at home, you’ll quickly realize you are part of a tight-knit and wise community of dedicated foster parents.
If you have any questions about our foster program, please contact Peggy at pvolkert@wihumane.org or call 414-431-6132.