The best gift you can give is a loving, temporary home!
Foster Care
Thank you for considering opening your heart and home to one of our pets. Your generosity will provide an animal the chance to grow or heal before finding their forever home. Through the foster program, thousands of animals have had a second chance at an amazing life, and foster care is a critical part of our ability to adopt out more than 1,600 animals annually. Fostering is an immensely rewarding experience you’ll never forget, and it changes animals’ lives in a very direct way.

Becoming a Foster Parent
Help ensure that our homeless animals find health and happiness by fostering.
We don’t have to tell you that puppy and kitten season is one of the busiest times of the year for shelters, but the good news is there’s a way to make it a bit easier. Over the next several months, our staff, fosters, and volunteers will be undertaking lifesaving work for hundreds of homeless, young, fragile, and at-risk neonatal animals from our community. Be part of the journey and help us prepare!
By signing up to foster or donating a gift today, you will help ensure these animals receive the shelter, medical care, nourishment, and love they need to thrive. YOU can make a difference! Give now or open up space in the shelter by fostering to help us save more lives!
Why should I foster?
Placing our animals in foster care allows Paws Humane to:
- Accept more animals into our shelter which increases our capacity to save lives
- Reduce the amount of time an animal stays in our shelter
- Increase adoptions by better preparing animals to become beloved family members
What if I have never been a foster parent before?
That’s okay! We have a wonderful Director of Foster Relations on staff who will provide you with all the information you need to know to become an excellent, confident foster parent. She will also coach you through the process should you need help. Materials are always available through our website with helpful information and tips on how to care for your foster pet.
How do I sign up to become a foster parent for Paws Humane?
Interested parties must first fill out our online foster application. After your application is approved, you will be contacted by a member of our Foster Care Team to schedule your home inspection, mandated by the GA Department of Agriculture. Once your home inspection is passed, you will be ready to foster a shelter pet in need. You will then be contacted by our Foster Care Team when we have a foster pet that is a good match for your home. For questions regarding our Foster Program, please contact our Director of Foster Care at foster@pawshumane.org.
Who needs to be fostered?
Finding excellent, temporary homes for all of our homeless pets
Puppies & Kittens
Puppies and kittens need foster homes until they have received at least 2 rounds of vaccinations and weigh enough to be spayed or neutered. Puppies are generally a two-week commitment and kittens are typically a four-week commitment.
Medical Needs
Adult dogs and cats with medical needs are candidates for a foster home. Foster parents do not need vet clinic experience to take excellent care of our shelter pets. All medical procedures are performed by Paws Humane Veterinarians at no cost to our foster parents. Some examples of medical duties are: administering oral medication, giving regular medicated baths, allowing an animal with a broken bone time to rest and heal, observing sutures for signs of infection, and transporting your foster pet to and from vet appointments.
Behavioral Needs
Adult dogs and cats with behavioral needs can make great strides in foster care. Many of our homeless pets come to our shelter sad and frightened. Most of them recuperate quickly in the shelter setting, but some need a quiet home environment to regain their confidence and learn how to be a loved pet again. Behavioral fosters can provide anything from a warm lap to rest in to top-level training. We will do our best to match your foster pet to your particular set of skills.
Be a hero. Change a life!
To learn more about fostering or if you have a question concerning your application, please email our foster team at: foster@pawshumane.org.