Foster Program

kitten slowly coming out of crate at foster home

cat and dog

What is Fostering?

Fostering is an important step on a pet's journey to their forever home.

A home environment is best for their health and well-being. Fostering cats and dogs allows them to thrive in a home environment and practice forming bonds with their caregivers.

For pets who have been waiting longer for adoption, foster caregivers can help reassure adopters that these pets are a good fit for a home and speak to the type of home or family that would be the best match for the pet.

OPHS staff work with volunteer caregivers so that in foster care, cats and kittens, dogs and puppies get love, care and the comforts of home so their future life can start on the right paw.

Experienced OPHS foster caregivers provide temporary care to animals who are recovering from illness or injury, or who need socialization support. Caregivers may also provide care for stray or surrendered senior cats and dogs, many who have lost owners that can no longer care for them. OPHS also seeks caregivers that have a heart for hospice pets at the time when they most need a quiet and loving home.

With the help of our amazing volunteer families, OPHS' foster program cares for hundreds of homeless animals each year. Plus, fostering makes room at the shelter for more animals who need help. You don't have to be an expert to join our team. If you've got a love of animals, a willingness to learn, and a little extra room in your heart and home, we can help with the rest!

Become a Foster

How to Become a Volunteer

1. Make sure you meet all of the guidelines:

  • If you have companion animals of your own at home, all must be:
    • Spayed or neutered
    • Up to date on their vaccines
    • Able to be physically separated in your home from the foster animals. (The length of isolation period varies based on the needs of the individual foster animals.)

2. Watch our orientation video below

3. Complete a Foster Application

This is your third and final step to becoming a volunteer with the Olympic Peninsula Humane Society!

4. Foster!

We can't thank you enough for your interest in fostering! The time you'll spend caring for animals in need is truly invaluable and expands our lifesaving capacity. Once you're onboard, you'll be invited to join a private group on Facebook so you can network with other volunteers, ask questions, trade tips, share updates and tell others about how great your current foster animal is doing!

Though you'll be volunteering independently at home, we hope you realize you're part of a tight knit and wise community of volunteers close to home.

Questions? Email them to info@ophumanesociety.org


Maddie's Pet Assistant (MPA) Smartphone App

A free new tool provided to OPHS for our Foster Program is Maddie's Pet Assistant or MPA, provided to OPHS from national non-profit Maddie's Fund Foundation.

MPA is a smartphone and tablet app that provides support to caregivers from the moment they bring pet(s) into their temporary home.

Through the MPA, caregivers can:

  • Get quick answers to questions and concerns from OPHS staff
  • Share valuable updates on pet's health and behavior
  • Helps OPHS gather information on how pets are adjusting in a home environment
  • Submit quick and easy pet biographies, photos or videos to OPHS to help with adoptions

Watch the video to see how MPA gives OPHS foster volunteers superpowers!