The YVAS foster program is a network of families who are dedicated to providing temporary care to shelter animals in their own homes. The animals that are sent out to foster are all compromised in some way and are not yet considered “adoptable” whether they are underage or underweight, nursing, semi-feral and need individualized socialization, or are recovering from an illness or medical procedure. Foster families provide care and attention to these animals until they are ready to come back to the shelter and find their forever home.
Purpose of the Foster Program
What Sort of Commitment is Involved in Fostering?
The length of commitment varies depending on the animal’s individual needs. We can try and estimate the length of time you will have a foster animal, but we can never say for sure. It depends on the foster animal’s progress and growth as well as if we physically have kennel space to bring them back into the shelter. The average length of a foster stay is about 2-6 weeks but it can be longer depending on the reason why they need to be in foster care.
We prefer if animals can stay with the same foster family the whole time so that it is less stressful for them than being bounced around, however we know that life happens and things pop up unexpectedly which is ok! If we need to find a different placement for your foster family just let us know ahead of time and we can work out a plan.
Are You A Good Foster Candidate?
Do you live in Billings or one of the closely surrounding communities?
Are you at least 18 years old?
Are you able to devote extra time each day to care for the individual needs of the animal(s)?
Are you able to separate foster animals from personal pets and make sure that areas of the house are safe and sanitized?
Are you prepared for the potential of foster animals to carry unforeseen illnesses that may affect you or your personal pets?
Are you aware and able to handle possible sickness or death of an animal?
Are you emotionally able to let the animal go when it is time for adoption?
If you answered yes to these questions, you could be a great candidate for fostering!
How to Get Started
STEP 1: Watch the video below to learn more about our program and make sure you know what you’re signing up for!
STEP 2: Submit a Foster Application HERE.
STEP 3: The Waiting Game! We never know when or what kind of animals we are going to get that may need fostering so it’s great for us to have foster homes at the ready anytime. Once an animal comes into the shelter, we will start reaching out to available foster homes that best suit the animal’s needs and try to get them into a foster home as soon as possible.
Can YVAS provide a temporary foster home for my pet?
YVAS is unable to provide foster homes for owned-animals.
YVAS is able to provide temporary protection and boarding for pets who are victims of domestic violence or displaced because of it. With a grant received from Red Rover, YVAS can offer boarding and care, free of charge, for pets of domestic violence victims who seek shelter and services through YWCA. Click here for more information about this program.
