Kitsap Humane Society

Any Home Can Be A Foster Home!

We need foster volunteers! Any amount of time an animal spends in a foster home is beneficial, whether that’s an overnight sleepover or until they are adopted! Even if you can’t commit to something long-term, you can make a positive and lasting impact on an animal’s life. Learn more and get started below!

Foster Update:

Our largest foster need is for people who are able to care for ill or injured animals, animals who are stressed by being in a kennel, or underage puppies and kittens who come to the shelter with or without a mom.

If you are interested in becoming a member of our foster team long-term, please complete our foster care application.

A member of our team will get back to you to provide all the details you need to become a foster parent, as we have transitioned to a virtual orientation!

Kitsap Humane Society needs Foster Care Volunteers year round! Join us in saving lives.

Why Foster?

Foster homes are needed to provide temporary homes for animals whose current medical or behavior conditions are not manageable in a shelter setting. By taking a foster animal into your home on a temporary basis, the animal is given the opportunity to adjust to a home environment, given additional time to find a permanent home and recover from any current medical conditions in a comfortable setting, and provides more room at the shelter for another animal in need. Foster care is needed year-round for:

Kittens and puppies
Adult cats and dogs
The Pet Protection Program – offers a temporary safe haven for cats belonging to victims of domestic violence, people experiencing job loss, homelessness, or other unexpected life changes. Learn more about the Pet Protection Program here.

How it works

What it takes

Fostering a shelter animal is a wonderful, rewarding experience, but can also be time-consuming and hard work.

Although previous fostering experience is not required, the ideal foster parent will have basic knowledge of animal care and training, as well as a desire to find their foster animal a safe, loving forever home.

As a foster parent, you will provide your animals with care, including food, water, shelter, litter, training, and trips to Kitsap Humane Society for medical treatment when necessary.

The length of foster care commitment varies widely based on each animal. Some animals may only need a couple weeks of foster care; other animals may need many months of foster care. The length of time can depend on the animal’s age, medical issues, or adoptability.

What you get

Kitsap Humane Society provides Foster Parents and their foster pets with all the basic needs, such as food, bottles, litter, toys, blankets, and medical care. If requested, we can also pair new Foster Parents with an experienced Foster Mentor who can provide one-on-one support. Specialty supplies such as crates, hooded beds, and treats are donated items and we supply them when possible.

Become a Foster Parent!

To join Kitsap Humane Society’s Foster Care Program, please:

Complete the Foster Care Application.

Allow up to two weeks for the Foster Team to review and process your application. Once the application is processed, you will receive an email link to the Online Foster Orientation.

After you’ve completed orientation, pick your pathway! You can learn about how to quarantine your foster animal, how to clean your space once they’ve been adopted, dog behavior, kitten feeding and health, and much more.

When the core training modules are complete, we’ll add you to our outreach email list and invite you to a few other cool foster-specific resources. Welcome to the family!

Requirements for the KHS Foster Care Program:

Foster Parents must be at least 16 years old. Foster Parents ages 16 and 17 must have written approval from a parent or legal guardian.
All resident dogs and cats must be up to date on vaccines.
If interested in fostering a dog and have dogs at home, you must bring resident dogs into the shelter with you to meet with each potential foster dog to avoid any major personality clashes.