Animal Fosters

Pre-Treating Your Dwellings and Yard

Texas is home to several very common viruses carried by wildlife and domestic pets that are found on most ground surfaces in our backyards. The warm climate, minimal freezes, and rainy springtime can allow highly contagious illnesses, such as Parvovirus and Distemper, to have longer gestation times outdoors than other states. Even if your backyard is fully fenced, wildlife can spread viruses through possible contaminants in your yard.

You can pre-treat hard surfaces, such as your patio or deck, with a bleach: water mixture of 1:10 (of 5.25% - 6.15% household bleach) on any surface. With this pre-treatment, you should be able to safely let underage puppies out onto these locations. Puppies under 6 months of age should not go out onto the grass or dirt that you cannot pre-treat until they have had 2 rounds of booster vaccinations. Adult dogs that have been vaccinated are much less susceptible to contract these viruses and, in most cases, can go out into your fully contained yard onto the grass or dirt without the need for pre-treatment. We do always recommend pre-treating your dwellings if you are unsure of the tenant history.

If you have had a personal pet become sick with a virus in the past year, we recommend cleaning places that you can with a bleach: water mixture of 1:10 (of 5.25% - 6.15% household bleach). This will ensure any foster pets you bring home will not catch the same virus.

Prepping for First Day: Items and Expectations

Here is a good list of items for you to have the first time you ever bring home a new foster pet.

Decompression Period

Remember that this is more than likely a confusing time for your new foster pet. They have just left the chaotic environment of the shelter and are bound to be feeling a little overwhelmed. It can be tempting to bring them with you to shop or visit friends or go out to eat, but your foster pet should go straight to your home and be allowed to settle in before taking them anywhere. It can take days to several months for an animal to become comfortable in your home and with your routine. Be patient and allow for them to have some time to decompress.

You should plan to create a quiet space for your foster pet with a crate setup that is “den like” or give them a room like an unoccupied bathroom. If the foster pet you bring home appears stressed out or shut down, allow them to have a space that is entirely theirs. Allow your foster pet to relax before immediately subjecting them to social situations.

For dogs, when you first arrive home, walk your them around outside on their leash to allow for a chance to go to the bathroom. Keeping them on leash at first can be helpful, especially when entering a new environment with so many smells and potentially scary new sounds. A leash will keep them from running away from you or chasing objects that could be potentially harmful. Once you’re inside the house, it might take a bit of time for your new foster pet to relax. The more you can relax into a routine, the more your foster pet will, too.

For cats, starting with a small space can make them feel much more comfortable about their new dwellings. Often, they will want a place to hide and make sure the environment is safe to move in. Allow them to have a space that belongs to them without intrusion from other pets. As they begin to get more comfortable, you can allow them to have more free roaming time.

Please also note that all animals are individuals; they all have different adjustment and decompression periods.

Foster Pet Isolation

When you take a foster pet, we recommend that you keep them separated from your personal animals for at least 24-48 hours. This is recommended for the safety and protection of your personal animals. We can give no guarantees about the health and behavior of an animal coming from our facility into your home. Animals are fully vetted upon intake, but it is always a good idea to be on the safe side when it comes to your personal animals. Please note that some diseases will not always appear within the first 24-48 hours of arrival to the shelter or your home and can incubate in the body for longer than that time frame. An enclosed area or separate room with no carpet will often work best for your foster pet during the isolation period (such as your laundry room or an unoccupied bathroom).

Getting Started as a Foster Parent

Commitments as a Foster Parent range from just a couple of days to several months, so you can choose an option that fits your lifestyle. A Foster Parent is expected to work through adoptions or transport opportunities to other organizations to find these pets permanent placement. It is through this vital and supportive role that we can provide more lifesaving opportunities to and create a safety net for the animals that have come into the shelter facility.

**Please refer to the Neonates guide for instructions on feeding animals under 8 weeks. Be sure to have the appropriate food for the arrival of your foster pet. You should never give your foster pet food intended for people, nor should you feed them scraps off your plate.

Certain types of human food can be toxic to animals and cause symptoms from allergic reactions, lethargy, organ failure, and even death. Treats Keep number of treats to a minimum; treats should only be about 1% of their daily diet. Make sure treats are labeled safe for appropriate age for your foster pet. Never leave your pets and foster pets with unattended treats. No rawhide, leather, or bone-type treats are allowed at any time.

Lost Foster Pet

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, your foster pet may escape from you or your home. If this should happen, please contact the WAS Foster Team immediately with the following information:

• The animal’s A# (EX: A1234567) and Name (this can be found on your foster pet’s paperwork or emails)
• Last known location
• Date and time of escape
• What the situation was when escape occurred (opening the front door, walking the foster pet, etc.)

In addition, we ask that the Foster Parent report the animal as lost through 24PetConnect.

We suggest that you put up fliers around your neighborhood and place ads on local lost and found websites, Facebook pages (including your personal page and the Volunteer and Foster page), Nextdoor and Craigslist.

Should the animal be picked up by an animal control officer, the Foster Team will be notified and will contact you immediately. The Foster Team can request that an officer be sent out to survey the area if the animal was lost in the city of Waco. Always keep the Foster Team informed with any updates.

Stolen Foster

If you believe a foster pet is stolen while in your custody, please contact the Foster Team immediately. We also ask that you call 911 and create a police report to give any information that you might know about the situation. In addition, follow the same steps that are outlined above in the Lost Foster section.

WAS will also consider an animal stolen if we have been unable to contact you, the Foster Parent, and the animal has not yet been spayed or neutered. The Foster Team will send out communication during the fostering process periodically. If at any point during this, we believe you as the Foster Parent have become unresponsive, we will make every attempt to reach you. If at 60 days in the foster home we have been unsuccessful in making contact, WAS staff will proceed by releasing the animal as missing or stolen in the WAS Database. This could prohibit you from being able to foster or potentially adopt from WAS in the future.

It is never easy to lose an animal and it affects each of us differently and personally. As a Foster Parent, it is important not to blame yourself for any loss that may occur. Please understand that sometimes we are operating against unknown illnesses or, especially in the case of neonatal animals, fragile populations. Due to this, we understand that accidents or a decline in health can occur. Remember that everything you do for these animals is in the efforts to create a positive outcome and to save a life. The Foster Team at WAS is always here to assist you in case an animal in your care passes.

If an Animal Passes in Foster:

1. Make sure the animal has passed. In some cases, especially with neonates, a very cold, hypoglycemic kitten/puppy can appear to be deceased but may not be.
2. Contact the Foster Team immediately via the contact information in your handbook.
3. Wrap the animal in a cloth and place it inside of a zip lock bag or a bag that is size appropriate.
4. With a Sharpie, write the animal’s name and A# on the outside of the bag. This is very important as all deceased animals must be accurately reported in WAS records.
   • If you do not properly identify the animal, a staff member will have to inspect the animal later to determine its’ identity so please make sure this is done correctly
5. After you have gotten in contact with a Foster Team member and you have placed the body in an appropriate bag with identification, come to the facility and a staff member will further assist you
6. If you are not able to immediately able to bring the animal to WAS, or it is overnight, the animal may be stored in its appropriately sized bag in a freezer until you are able to do so.

After you have notified the Foster Team, the animal will be cremated at no expense to you. If you would like to receive ashes and a pawprint, please let our Foster Team know when dropping off the animal.

There are multiple reasons why your animal will need to return to WAS. Whether you are returning your animal to the main shelter for the end of the designated foster period or returning due to your foster pet not a good fit for your foster home, we ask that you always contact the Foster Team to alert us of the return of your foster pet. Foster pets will need to be returned at the Green Intake doors during open hours.