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Open Your Home: Save a LifeFostering is the Joy of Unselfish Love...
OFOSA began by helping shelters with donations and veterinary care; then shelters made it clear that they needed OFOSA to rescue adoptable dogs and cats so that the staff wouldn’t have to euthanize them. With no building in which to house the animals, OFOSA volunteers opened their homes to these wayward dogs and cats and the Foster Care Network was born.
You have a chance to join the effort!
By opening your heart and home to a shelter animal, you prevent needless euthanasia due to a lack of space in shelters. There is no special training needed. You simply need a desire to care for the dog or cat, the willingness to meet the animal’s needs, the ability to provide a safe, healthy, clean, and nurturing environment and a landlord that will allow you to foster!
The overall mission of the OFOSA Foster Care Network is to give animals individualized care and socialization to ensure their adoptability and give them additional time to locate their “forever home.”
A Foster Animal’s Length of Stay Varies
OFOSA will work with your unique situation and schedule. Foster animals can stay in homes from a few hours to a few months; it all depends on the demand for that particular pet, as well as on any special medical needs the animal may have.
Emergency Fosters
“Emergency” Foster Parents foster for typically two nights at most. Emergency Foster Parents help OFOSA when all of our regular foster homes are full and a shelter tells us “if you can’t take this animal today, we’re going to have to put it down.” Usually, a day or two is all OFOSA needs to find a regular foster home for the animal.
You Work, So Do Those That Adopt
Some people feel their families cannot foster dogs or cats because both adults in the household work. That same situation exists in the homes of most adopters, so fostering an animal and teaching him/her that a family does come home after an 8-hour work day actually benefits the animal making it more adoptable.
OFOSA will provide you with a crate, cat condo, or other tools to keep the animal safe during your work day.
A Word From Our Foster Network…
“The thing I find most interesting about being a Foster Parent is the period in which each animal has to find its place in our home, mixing with the other human and canine/feline personalities. Most of the time, my own dog enjoys the company of the foster animals.
"The thing I like best about fostering is that each animal has their own, unique personality! Each has added to our home with fond memories of laughter, smiles, and snuggles. Many of their new moms and dads still write to us, sharing photos of their progress and reminding us that we, by fostering their new beloved pet, touched their lives as well.
"It is a sometimes demanding and always a wonderful experience. And if you really love animals, once you foster for Oregon Friends of Shelter Animals, you will be hooked!” - Sara Parnell
“Fostering is a challenging, yet rewarding experience. There is a special feeling you get when you find the perfect match between the animal and their lifelong owners. The feeling is overwhelming. It’s hard to put into words.” - Micki Walker
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