Foster love.

Join the CARE STL foster family today!

Our fosters play a very important role in helping our animals transition from the shelter to forever home. Fosters not only provide love and care in a home while our animals wait for their forever homes, but they also get important information about each animal that will help set them up for success with their new family!

Be a Foster Friend today!

What is fostering?

Our fosters take animals from the shelter and take care of them in a loving home while they wait for a forever home. CARE STL provides all supplies needed, including crates, food, toys, bedding, litter and more! If you have a home and a heart, you are a perfect candidate for fostering!

Why foster?

Fostering helps animals transition from shelter to home life where they can decompress, feel safe and show off their true personalities. Fostering also provides invaluable information about these pets to help match them to their perfect forever home. Adoptions from foster homes have a significantly less return rate because of accurate information learned in foster.

Most animals truly thrive best in a home, and consequently deteriorate quickly in the shelter due to stress. Fostering is lifesaving! When you become a foster, not only do you help an animal in need, but they also provide joy, happiness, and love in return!

WAYS TO FOSTER

Weekend Foster

Take a dog for a weekend!

Short-Term Foster

Take a dog or cat for 1-2 weeks!

Doggy Day Out

Take a dog for a few hours to a park, pet friendly patio or stores, or into your home! Even a few hours out of the shelter can drastically improve a pup's quality of life.

Temp Foster

Take over fostering for an animal while their long term foster is out of town!

Long-Term Foster

Foster a dog or cat until they find their forever home!

Whatever You Want

Any length of time or starting with a weekend / week and then extending to long term are options too!

Myth Busters - The Truth About Fostering!

Myth 1: I don't think my home is the right fit for a foster.

Truth: There are hundreds of dogs and cats at CARE STL with diverse temperaments, traits, training levels, and personalities, meaning there is a right fit for your home! CARE STL has both dogs and cats who are house / litter-box trained, kid-friendly, shy and gentle, lower energy, snuggly, active and playful, great with other pets, younger, senior, and so much more! Whether you have a quiet apartment or a busy multi-pet house, we can match you with the perfect dog or cat foster.

Myth 2: I am not home enough during the day to have an animal.

Truth: Shelter environments are loud, overstimulating, and make it incredibly hard for animals to rest. Dogs often spend up to 23 ½ hours per day in a kennel with minimal outside breaks, while cats are often in small cages surrounded by constant noise and stress.

Event if a dog is crated or a cat is relaxing in a quiet room for 8-10 hours while you're at work, your home is still a massive upgrade. It's safe, peaceful, and gives them a dedicated space to destress. When you're away, pets naturally spend most of their day sleeping or quietly playing with toys. Sleeping comes much more easily once they feel safe! Many of our most successful fosters work full-time shifts and still give shelter animals a far better life than staying at the shelter.

Myth 3: It will be too sad when they get adopted.

Truth: Adoptions are bittersweet, whether you are letting go of a purring lap cat or a playful pup. Your deep attachment simply means you did your job well. You taught that dog or cat what love, safety, and kindness feel like 💖 Knowing you were the bridge between their rescue and their forever home makes the goodbye worth it, and it frees up your home to save another life. Plus, if a particular dog or cat turns out to be the absolute perfect match for your lifestyle, you can always "foster fail" and officially adopt them!

How do I get started?

1. Stop by the shelter and meet a match

Our adoption counselors will help match you with the right foster for your lifestyle. You can complete the foster survey online in advance for a quicker process at the shelter.

2. Bring home your foster

We will equip you with the essentials on the day you bring your foster pet home. Be patient with the transition and be ready for unconditional love!

3. Stay connected

Send us an email at foster@icarestl.org if you have questions or need more supplies. Join our CARE STL Foster Pack Facebook group to meet other foster families and CARE STL Adoptable Pets Facebook group to share your foster pet with the world.

4. Support for fosters

Check out our Foster Resources - we are dedicated to supporting our foster families 🩵

😻 Cats and Kittens Need Foster Homes Too 😻

Fostering isn’t just for dogs! Our cats and kittens need temporary, loving homes too—and some are especially in need of a foster family.

❤️ Some of the cats and kittens who need fosters most include:
• Pregnant or nursing mama cats with their kittens
• Kittens who need extra socialization and TLC
• Cats or kittens recovering from illness, injury, or needing medical care
• Cats and kittens who simply need a safe place to grow, heal, and get ready for their forever family

🎓 College students—this can be a great fostering opportunity for you, too! Cats are generally accepted in many apartments, and fostering can allow you to help an animal while you’re in school. Plus, you typically have the whole term to help your foster find a family of their own. 🐾

You provide the love, safety, and temporary home. We’ll help with the rest.

Could you be the stepping stone between a cat or kitten and their forever home? 🏡❤️

CENTER FOR ANIMAL
RESCUE AND ENRICHMENT
of St. Louis

WAYS TO FOSTER

Myth Busters - The Truth About Fostering!

How do I get started?

😻 Cats and Kittens Need Foster Homes Too 😻

Proudly feeding the pets at CARE STL

CENTER FOR ANIMAL RESCUE AND ENRICHMENT of St. Louis

WAYS TO FOSTER

Myth Busters - The Truth About Fostering!

How do I get started?

😻 Cats and Kittens Need Foster Homes Too 😻

CENTER FOR ANIMAL
RESCUE AND ENRICHMENT
of St. Louis