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Ventura County Animal Services (VCAS) Shelter Beyond Capacity
Our local VCAS shelter is full and in desperate need of animal lovers willing to take a shelter animal into their home. Foster Parents in the VCAS Foster Care Program provide an essential role as a temporary home for shelter pets while they await adoption. Animals that make good foster care candidates may be experiencing anxiety, are shy, healing from medical problems, are pregnant, injured, older, terminally ill, or simply need a quiet place to rest and rejuvenate.
Foster Parent Requirements
- Provide a safe, clean, and caring environment
- Provide food, water, toys/enrichment, and shelter
- Provide exercise and socialization if appropriate
- Monitor their physical and mental wellbeing
- Able to transport for vet appointments, adoption events, or evacuating them in case of an emergency
- Actively marketing your foster dog for adoption – make regular AdoptMeApp diary entries.
- Screen and meet with potential adopters; be responsive and courteous towards potential adopters; follow VCAS adoption protocols
Fostering is Flexible
The length of time you foster an animal is up to you. If you are having difficulty finding an adopter, you can reach out to VCAS, who will help you market them. You can also send photos or videos for VCAS to post on social media along with the best way you wish people to contact you. Timelines might differ depending on the type of animal you are fostering and their needs:
Adult dogs: From one day to several months. Foster parents can take dogs for day trips or weekend sleepovers. These experiences can be very beneficial for long term or stressed dogs. Fosters can also choose to foster dogs longer term; from a couple of weeks to even months. Some foster parents choose to foster dogs until they get adopted.
Adult cats: From one week to several months. Some cats are frightened or sick and may just need a week or two in a foster home to heal and feel safe. Other cats who have a very hard time living in a kennel, may need a foster parent who can keep them until they find an adoptive family.
Kittens: From one – eight weeks. Kittens only need to stay in foster homes until they are 1.5 pounds and/or eight weeks old. These are the two important requirements for spay or neuter surgery. Another requirement is health. Cats who appear sick cannot be placed under anesthesia for spay or neuter surgery.
How to Become a Foster Parent
Go to www.vcas.us/foster and fill out/submit an online application. If you have difficulty with the form or have questions, email [email protected]. Next, check your email for a link to the foster and volunteer orientation videos. If you don’t receive an email, be sure to check your spam folder. All prospective foster parents are required to watch all foster and volunteer orientation videos. These videos will cover the goals and policies of VCAS, as well as explain foster and volunteer opportunities. Please note: You do not have to become an on-site shelter volunteer to become a foster parent.
After watching the Adult Dog or Adult Cat videos, you will sign-up for a ‘Matchmaking Appointment’ with the Foster Care Coordinator to select your first foster animal! Those interested in fostering kittens must sign-up to attend the Underaged Kitten Training session with the Foster Care Coordinator. These appointments can be made through links you will have received in your welcome email. All VCAS Foster Families are required to follow all guidelines for animal handling set forth in the Foster Orientation Training and Volunteer Training materials.
If you also wish to become an on-site volunteer, please go to www.vcas.us/volunteer to access the VCAS Volunteer page.
Selecting Animals to Foster
The good news is, most shelter animals are excellent candidates for foster! The only caveat is that foster candidates are only animals who need foster care. VCAS doesn’t need foster parents for little fluffy animals who will likely get adopted quickly! The Foster Care Coordinator will assist you in selecting shelter animals who need placement.
Remember – “Goodbye” is the goal!
Fostering is a temporary situation and letting go of one foster animal means you’ll be able to help another. But it can still be hard to say goodbye. Thankfully, the VCAS foster team will be there to help you through it. Every adoption saves one life, but a dedicated foster parent can save lots of lives by caring for many animals who need extra help to find their own new homes. Goodbyes are tough, but oh-so-rewarding too!
For more information, visit www.vcas.us/foster, email [email protected] or call 805.388.4341.
