First Time Fostering with the SPCA (Lakeland, FL) How I Did It, How YOU Can Do It, & What To Expect

Fostering has been a life long dream of mine. I very recently just got married, and due to having 6 rescue pets of our own we chose not to go on a honeymoon. But... I really wanted to do something to make this time in our life special and memorable, so after talking it over with my husband we opened our house and our hearts to be foster parents with the closest animal shelter to us which happens to be the SPCA in Lakeland, FL.

Taz the Foster Cat from SPCA Lakeland, FL.

Now that I've FINALLY started fostering, I realize I didn't actually know what it is. Previously, my understanding was that an animal from the animal shelter (which is more than likely over capacity) will come stay with you at your house until it gets adopted, therefore freeing up space at the shelter for another animal to be put up for adoption. I was under the impression that all food and care would be provided by myself, and all other fosters, until the animals in foster care are adopted, which could potentially be indefinitely (or so I thought). While there is some truth to some of this its a very blurry view of the full picture and essentially a misconception. (For reference, I currently have two foster kittens in my care and I've now been to the SPCA twice to fill out foster related paper work. I'm also looking at the foster-hub portion of their website daily to simply get a better understanding of the shelter, animal needs, and fostering.) Before I committed to being a foster, I had to first do some research which roughly looked like answering the following:

1. Whats the closest animal shelter to me?

2. Are they a kill shelter or a non-kill shelter, and which of those would align with my current interests / potential involvement?

3. Are they a for profit or not for profit? Do I have a personal preference in donating my time / energy / resources to one of those categories?

4. Do they have a get involved / sign up to volunteer / foster section on their website?

5. If I were to foster, what animal type, age, and medical requirements am I capable of taking on, and where will I keep them in my house?

Once I answered these questions for myself I was able to look more closely at the SPCA website and send in an application to volunteer. Within a week or so I got an email reply back from them with follow up steps on becoming a volunteer and a foster. At this point I figured I could always sign up to foster and if it seems like it might not work out, then no harm no foul I don't HAVE to do it ...because fostering is not a commitment the way many volunteer positions are (many require 6 months commitment. You will never be forced to foster an animal you can't care for or are uncomfortable caring for, and if at any time your circumstances change and the animal needs to go be with a different foster parent thats OK.) I received an email back a few days later after filling out my foster application and was given some PDFs from the shelter on how fostering with them works, what to expect, who to call in an emergency etc. This whole time (I mean decades really) I thought I would have to attend some sort of in person orientation where I would be trained to do xyz to become a foster and I didn't have to do that at all! As someone with social anxiety the idea of going to an in-person orientation with a bunch of strangers really put me off from the idea of fostering for a long time... as silly as that may be. Some shelters may still have this practice but as an avid and knowledgable pet parent I'm thrilled I was able to just jump right into fostering after approval. Next I was sent a link to sign up for the foster-hub portion of the SPCA website and I was immediately able to see the pets in need of foster homes / WHY they need foster care / how long their stay in foster care might be / what type of care that animal specifically needs, along with personality info. I was able to submit inquiries for the pets I wanted to foster right on that page and received a response in just a few short hours! Through communication with someone from the shelter in emails I was able to set appointments for pick ups, get clearer info on pet needs, and request supplies!

So THIS --- THIS is where my preconceived notion of what fostering is truly shattered.

MOST animals in need of foster homes are NOT up for adoption (yet), and you don't HAVE to pay out of your own pocket to feed these animals, get their medication, their surgeries or ANYTHING else whether its because you can't or you don't want to. Foster animals are the property of the shelter they come from and their well being and care is the responsibility of that shelter. You can ask the shelter to supply you with food to care for the pet you are fostering, you can ask for a crate, a bed, toys, puppy pads, litter etc. Whatever supplies you might need and if they have them they WILL give them to you no questions asked and as far as I can tell they always have them to send with the fosters. The animals that need medication are sent WITH the medication to your home, you don't have to pay for it. All you as a foster parent are responsible for is the safe transport to and from the shelter, providing a safe space suited for your foster pets needs, administering meals and water, a safe space to sleep and be loved and possibly play, and giving the medication they might come with as needed, and returning the pet to the shelter for check ups / booster shots / and eventually dropping them off at the shelter to stay where they will THEN be placed as available for adoption.

Pets needing foster care are typically recovering from some sort of illness or injury such as ringworm or a broken bone, OR they are too young such as neonatal kittens / puppies, OR they are awaiting a surgery such as a spay / neuter, OR recovering from a surgery. These animals need to be cared for by someone in a relaxing and controlled environment until they are healthy enough or old enough to find their forever home. From what I can see the average needed time in foster care ranges typically from 2 weeks to 4 weeks. Rarely have I seen on the foster hub a pet needing 5+ weeks in foster but it does of course happen. It's up to YOU the foster parentto decided what you're willing to take on.

In the case of myself and my two current fosters, I am able to offer my air conditioned laundry room as a safe space for these animals. I am best suited to foster cats, due to my chronic illness and already having 3 dogs, and my ideal foster pet is low maintenance, with no contagious issues (such as kennel cough or ringworm that might be accidentally spread to my pets or my client's pets). I have every supply needed to be a foster mom, but having 6 pets of my own if the shelter is willing to give me the food to feed these animals then absolutely I want it. Being given the food to care for them from the shelter means fostering is not a financial concern for me outside of gas to and from the shelter and cat litter (which I buy in pine pellet form in 40lb bags from tractor supply for $7 a bag)

Taffy The Foster Cat from The SPCA

I signed up specifically to foster Taz, a 4lb 4 month old kitten who is recovering from a hip fracture. Taz is incredibly friendly and is on limited activity requirements meaning I can take him out of his kennel to play a few times a day ...but nothing rough, he mostly needs rest still. I also signed up to foster Taffy, a female kitten recovering from a front leg fracture who is on strict kennel rest, meaning she can't come out and play at all. Taffy needs oral medication twice a day which the shelter gave me. Taz and Taffy will be in my care for 2-4 weeks. My job is to administer meds, give them kisses and pets, the food they gave me, clean water, clean litter, and play if possible. Both of these babies are really easy to foster and they will both benefit greatly from it! It is bringing me so much happiness to do it and I can't wait for many many more foster stories to share.

If you are interested in donating to the SPCA, learning more about fostering or adopting a pet with them check out their website: https://www.spcaflorida.org/