Fostering saves lives.
Foster with KAR
Open up your home to an animal in need! Keeping pets in foster homes reduces their stress, helps us get to know them, and ensures that we can keep space available for animals who need urgent help.
General Information
Fostering is a wonderful opportunity to give love and one-on-one attention to a rescue animal. By bringing an animal home, you also create a space in the shelter for animals with urgent needs!
We are always seeking more dog and cat fosters in Kalamazoo and nearby surrounding areas. Fostering is a daily commitment to each animal from the time they enter your home to the time they are adopted. In some cases, this may be brief and only last 1-2 weeks. Other animals may have more specific needs and be with their foster long-term while we look for the perfect fit.
- Our fosters live in Kalamazoo and surrounding areas
- Occasional travel to and from KAR and/or adoption events is required
- Cats and kittens
- Dogs and puppies
- Special needs pets and bottle babies
How It Works
Becoming a Foster
- Potential fosters submit our volunteer/foster application.
- If your application is approved, you will be invited to attend volunteer and foster orientation to learn more about our program.
- Once you’ve finished orientation, you can bring home your first foster animal! Just like we try to match animals with the right adopters, we will try to help you find a foster animal who is a good fit for you and your lifestyle. If you would prefer a laid-back senior dog or an energetic litter of kittens, just let us know.
What to Expect
- We provide our fosters with:
- All basic supplies for the pet – food, litter, toys, beds, etc.
- Necessary vetting like deworming, vaccines, and spay and neuter.
- Ongoing support from a foster mentor and our medical teams if additional needs arise.
- Your responsibilities:
- Provide daily care for the animal, like feeding and socializing.
- Create your foster pet’s online profile, complete with pictures and a descriptive bio. Show them off and let the world know what their perfect home would look like!
- Transport your foster pet to/from KAR or adoption events in the Kalamazoo area as needed (usually 1-2x a month).
Volunteer/Foster Application
Your first step towards fostering animals is submitting a volunteer/foster application! This form helps us understand your experience with animals, your living situation (including what other animals might share your home), and why you’re interested in fostering with KAR.
Please note the following before submitting an application:
- Volunteers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult KAR volunteer. The volunteer application should be completed by the adult that will accompany the minor.
- We do not provide volunteer opportunities to fulfill community service requirements at this time.
- Submitting a volunteer application grants us permission to run a criminal background check with the information provided.
