Thank you for your interest in fostering a homeless pet for Fuzzy Texan Animal Rescue. Our foster families are a vital part of our organization, as we do not have a shelter. We are a network of foster homes and we can only save as many dogs/cats as we have foster homes to put them in. By making the decision to foster, you are literally saving a life!
Our Mission: FTAR is a no-kill, volunteer run organization. We are dedicated to saving lives and finding forever homes for stray, abandoned and surrendered pets while working to reduce the pet overpopulation problem through spay/neuter programs, education and promotion of respect for the animals we share our lives with.
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Qualifications and criteria for becoming a foster parent:
To be a successful foster parent, you need a compassionate nature, the cooperation of your family or roommates, flexibility, and some knowledge of animal behavior. You also must understand that the end goal is finding the best forever homes for your fosters, so please be emotionally prepared for this.
Please note that you must meet the qualifications listed below to be considered:
• Must be at least 18 years old.
• Understand that this program is not intended for those wanting to “foster-to-adopt”. Fosters do not get “first dibs” on their foster animals. Your first foster animal will be placed up for adoption and are not eligible for foster parents to adopt.. Our main goal is to choose the best home for the animal, so please keep this in mind.
•Once you are able to adopt, any dogs in the household must be over 2 years to be considered as a candidate for adopting a foster puppy. Please note: this rule applies to PUPPIES only.
• All members of your household, significant others, roommates, etc, must be on board with fostering.
• Any pets you already have must all be spayed/neutered and up to date on their vaccines. This is non-negotiable. We will check in with your vet to confirm this info.
• Ability to isolate foster pets from resident pets for the first 14 days.
• Prepared to house all foster animals indoors and have consent of landlord or property owner/company, if applicable. Our feline fosters are never allowed outside. We do not adopt out cats to outdoor homes and we expect our fosters to keep cats strictly indoors as well.
• Have an electronic payment app for reimbursements of supplies. Foster must provide receipts for all expenses before reimbursement is done OR have permission from the Foster Coordinator (or other staff member) for request for payment.
•Must commit to attending appointments at another Rescue approved vet for a specific area (Central Texas/Houston/Ft Worth) Your foster coordinator will have details so please ask before considering to applying to foster.
• Commit to attend foster training and/or volunteer orientation, if applicable. Generally, this is only necessary for animals with special needs, or if you’d like to learn how to bottle feed, syringe feed, or any other medical needs. We’re happy to teach you.
To begin the process of becoming a FTAR foster, please fill out our foster application (you can find it on our Links page), and one of our team members will be in touch with you.
What does fostering involve?
Fuzzy Texan relies on our fosters to keep our rescue running strong. Without fosters, we would not be able to save as many lives as we do. As a foster for Fuzzy Texan, you will be a vital part of our rescue, but you should keep in mind that fostering is not all play and no work. Sure, watching puppies and kittens will obviously be fun and rewarding, but let’s not forget that it also involves a ton of work. We expect and require our fosters to be responsible, responsive, and attentive to their animals. As a foster, you will play a large role in socializing these animals, so they have the best chance of getting adopted.
When you foster, you agree to take a homeless dog or cat into your home and give him or her love, care, and attention, either for a predetermined period of time or until the animal is adopted. If you are only able to foster an animal for a certain amount of time, please let us know up front. Temporary fosters are welcome, but long-term fosters are preferred.
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Why do we need foster homes?
There are many reasons a dog or cat might need foster care:
• We do not have a physical shelter, and therefore, we depend on foster homes to care for animals until suitable adopters are found.
• If puppies or kittens are under 8 weeks of age and/or have a condition that requires surgery or extended vet care, they are not yet eligible for adoption, and we need them placed in an attentive foster home where they can receive the extensive care they require.
• A dog or cat is recovering from surgery, illness, or injury and needs a safe place to recuperate.
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Why should I foster?
Fostering is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have (other than adopting, of course). By temporarily taking an animal in need into your home you’re:
• You’ll be helping us free up space so that our rescue can save more lives.
• You will play a huge role in giving your foster animal(s) the time, care, and attention they need to be adopted into great homes.
• You will be your foster animal(s) biggest advocate. We will rely on you for information on your foster animal(s) personality, quirks, etc, so that we can provide potential adopters with an accurate assessment of the animal they’re interested in.
• We will rely on you to socialize your foster animal(s). For dogs, this means taking them on walks, car rides, introducing them to different people of all ages and sizes, potty training (if needed), and any other training that might be appropriate. For cats, this means spending time around other people of all ages and sizes, litter box training, and getting used to being handled and held. We also give priority to foster homes that already have other animals. We prefer our dogs and cats to be accustomed to interacting with members of their same species and/or any other pets you may have.
What kind of time commitment am I looking at?
The amount of time you will have your foster animal(s) depends on their age, health, and various other extenuating circumstances. There is no “average” duration of time when it comes to fostering.
We do welcome temporary fosters, especially those who are medically trained. Because we pull animals from shelters all over the state, sometimes very young or very sick animals will need a place to stay for a night or two until we can get them into our care. We rely on these types of fosters to help us care for special needs animals – especially cleft-palate puppies and kittens. If you are familiar with tube feeding or you’re interested in learning how to do so, we need you. The same is true for orphaned kittens and puppies who require bottle feeding. We can also teach you how to bottle feed and provide in-depth guides for your reference. This is a great opportunity to save lives with minimal time commitment.
While temporary fosters are crucial to our organization, we also always need long-term fosters. Generally, this means you will have the animal until they are adopted.
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General Info
Names: Most foster pets will come with a name that cannot be changed while he or she is in foster care. All medical records for the animal will be under this given name and to keep track of the dogs in our care, we need everyone referring to the same pet by the same name.
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Indoor Policy: Foster pets are to be kept primarily indoors. A foster pet should only go outside on a leash or harness or in a fenced-in area. Lost pets should be reported as soon as possible to FTAR. Foster parents will be responsible for paying the full adoption fee if an animal is lost.
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Supplies: Foster-to-adopt parents are expected to provide their own supplies (food, litter, collar, etc.) for the foster pet. Foster parents that are not foster to adopt, providing care for pregnant, sick, injured pets, or pets with behavior issues may choose to provide their own supplies, but FTAR will provide any needed supplies upon request. Crates are provided through the rescue so please inquire with your Foster Coordinator to arrange pickup. Any expenses incurred by the foster for food and basic supplies (puppy pads, food, litter) are reimbursable through the rescue. Any items needed that are above $50 need approval from the rescue prior to purchasing.
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Illness: If you are concerned about a health or behavior issue with your foster pet, call your foster coordinator. We can often talk you through any issues, or we may have medications on hand that you can use. Do not take your foster pet to the vet unless it is an emergency. Please contact the Foster Coordinator for or any concerns that are URGENT.
You must contact us prior to taking your animal to the vet. The foster coordinator will help you setup an appointment at the appropriate rescue clinic. Please understand; we must be very cautious when deciding whether or not a foster animal needs to go to the vet, as office visits add up very quickly. Each case will be evaluated individually by what is best for the animal as well as economically feasible for the rescue.
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Please note: In an effort to keep our pets healthy, we ask that foster's not foster for different rescues while fostering a Fuzzy Texan Animal.
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Finding Your Foster a Forever Home: We request that all foster parents e-mail us pictures of your foster that we can put on Petfinder. Additionally, please provide us with a description of your foster, information about their personality traits and what type of home you believe would be best for the pet. Remember, this is what potential adopters will be reading so make sure you highlight all of the wonderful characteristics of your animal! We need this information within 7 days.
We ask that you accommodate visits with potential adopters and give us feedback. You know your foster pet best and we value your input! We do need to know that if we try and contact you that we will hear back from you within 24 hours. We may need to check up periodically on the foster’s health, ensure they get vaccine boosters when due and be able to schedule meetings with prospective adopters. It's important to note that we operate out of three separate sites and we may receive applications for your animal outside of your location. There may be instances when your foster will be transported to an adopter or trial adopter in another area if their application is approved by the adoption team.
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PLEASE REMEMBER: A foster is not allowed to make commitments to give the dog to another party, or adopt it out on their own. We welcome recommendations of friends and relatives, however, they must go through the appropriate process of submitting an Adoption Application first to be reviewed by the adoptions team prior to a potential meet and greet.
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Adoption: Adoption fees range from $225-$1500 for dogs/puppies and $165-200 for cats/kittens. This pays for the cost to bring the dog to safety, the vet exams, vaccinations, deworming, flea and tick treatment, heartworm test if over 6 months old, heartworm prevention, spay or neuter, microchip, any other necessary medications for the pet. Collecting these fees is what allows us to continue to save more animals! Potential adopters fill out a pre-adoption application at www.fuzzytexan.org which is then reviewed by a FTAR adoption coordinator. We want to know things like what sort of home they have (house, apt, condo), do they own or rent, if they rent are there weight or breed restrictions, who lives in the house - pets and people, how long will the dog be left alone on an average day, is there a fenced yard, and much more! We try to match the pet to the right family for them. Our adoptions team reviews all this info prior setting up a meet and greet and virtual home tour! After the interview and home tour if the family seems like a good match, a meeting is then set either in the foster home or at a nearby pet friendly location. Oftentimes, friends or family members may want to adopt your foster. If this is the case, email your foster coordinator and direct the friend or family member to fill out and submit an adoption application. Please advise them they are subject to the same process as outlined above.
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**Please do not ever place your foster pet in a new home without approval of an Adoption Coordinator
** We also realize that situations may occur that require you to stop fostering before your foster pet is adopted. We ask for a notice so we can try to find alternate care for your foster pet. If you need to go out of town, we ask for as much notice as you can give us and a minimum of one week to arrange a foster pet sitter! When you pick up your foster pup, we will be more than happy to answer
PLEASE CONTACT THE FOSTER COORDINATOR ABOUT ANY ISSUES YOU ARE HAVING, ESPECIALLY IF YOU NEED TO BRING YOUR FOSTER/S BACK UNEXPECTEDLY!