Providing temporary homes for our homeless animals is a very important volunteer service to the New Kent Humane Society. Foster care enables these animals to experience normal family life before they get adopted into their permanent families.
To become a foster home for one of our animals you must return a completed Foster Care Agreement along
with a signed and dated Waiver of Liability form.
Getting Photos of your foster animals:
We will maintain pictures of adoptable animals on our website and on a bulletin board at the New Kent County Animal Control Pound Facility. Pictures of all animals in foster care should be on this board. Along with a picture, it is helpful to note the sex, approximate date ready for adoption, and your name. In addition, any other information about the temperament, coloring/markings, length of hair and breed, good with other animals, etc. is always helpful.
We will try to provide a digital photograph for you, but if the animal hasn’t been photographed upon intake and you don’t have a digital camera to photograph the animal yourself, a volunteer will photograph the animal for our board and website.
Housing your foster animals and other info:
The New Kent Humane Society will provide all basic supplies for foster animals including food, litter and litter pans, bedding, crates or carriers and toys. Please contact us for any supplies you may need. We recommend foster animals be housed separately from resident pets at all times for the safety of all involved.
If you are fostering multiple litters, they must be housed in separate rooms and should not have any contact with each other. Although we will test kitties nine weeks old or older for FeLV/FIV, no test is foolproof, and we cannot make any health related guarantees with regard to those or any other contagious diseases. If casual contact results in a transmitted illness to the foster homes own animals, the New Kent Humane Society will not take responsibility for related costs or consequences.
If you and your family are contemplating making a foster animal a permanent member of your home, you must notify us immediately to avoid disappointment for potential adopters, or yourselves. Once a potential adopting party has selected an animal, or a “Hold” has been placed on an animal, we will not ask them to give up their choice because the foster family has become too attached. We will gladly give our foster homes a little extra decision -making time before setting an appointment for potential adopters to see the animal.
Vet Visits:
All animals in foster care are considered to be in the custody of and the property of the New Kent Humane Society.
They should be seen by one of our participating Veterinarian’s upon admission into our system, or as soon as possible after admission. It is best to have fosters seen prior to placement, and we strive to do that whenever possible.
Veterinary services are provided by New Kent Animal Hospital, Church Hill Animal Hospital, Jolly Pond Veterinary Hospital, and occasionally, Tri-County Animal Hospital or Dr. Kathy’s Mobile Pet Care. The Foster Care Coordinator or a board member makes appointments only. We try our best to make all appointments at the convenience of the foster home, unless the situation is an emergency.
Adoption Information:
All adoptions are processed through the New Kent Humane Society Board Members. There are no exceptions. Potential adopters should complete an Adoption Application before scheduling a visit to meet the animal. Please contact us with any questions or concerns you may have with regard to adoptions, or potential adoptive families.
The Foster Care Coordinator will call you and refer “approved” applicants names and telephone numbers for you to contact and arrange a time for them to see your animals.
Contacting a vet:
If you have any problems or concerns with your foster animals feel free to contact any Board Member first. If you are unable to reach any of us directly, leave a message or e-mail and someone will return your call/e-mail promptly. The Board Members are available for your guidance and support.
In the event of an emergency, if it is after vets business hours, no Board Member can be reached, and the Foster Care Coordinator cannot be reached, please try to call Dr. Banks with Tri-County Animal Hospital, 804 785-9955 first, if he’s not available for on-call, call an Emergency Service Veterinary Clinic in Richmond or Yorktown. We rely on our foster parent’s best judgment as to what constitutes an emergency. Please do not hesitate to call a participating Vet if you feel the kitty is in grave danger, or serious distress.
When contacting any Vet, please identify yourself as a foster parent for the New Kent Humane Society. All effort should be made to contact the original Vet clinic, or the most recent Vet clinic you have seen, before contacting any others because they will not be familiar with the case. Please refer to the health record for ID #’s for the animal(s).
FOSTER CARE INFORMATION FOR DOGS AND PUPPIES
Bringing your new foster animal(s) home:
It can be a very stressful time for an animal that has an unknown past and may have gone through many changes in a short period of time. Not only are they stressed being in a shelter, if that’s where they came from, but they can be very stressed being in a new environment as well (such as your home). It is very important to keep your home as quiet as possible during the first few days to help make the transition a little easier for the animal. Set up an area where the animal can slowly adjust and become acclimated. Keep separate from other animals in the household, especially until your foster animal becomes more comfortable with the new home.
Taking care of your foster animal(s):
You will need to make sure that your foster animal(s) have fresh food and water everyday. Puppies will need dean newspaper and bedding. If they are living in a crate/cage, it will need to be cleaned on a daily basis. Take care to protect unvaccinated puppies from the risks of parvo and do not let them go outside to potty.
Try to take your adult, vaccinated foster dog out as much as possible to get exercise.
Feeding:
We give our puppies a scoop of dry-food mixed in with a little wet food and water in the morning and just dry food in the afternoon/evening. Once puppies are about 4-6 weeks old, they can be fed puppy food three times a day mixed with water to help soften the dry food. At this time they should still be kept with their mother until they are ready to go to an adoption stand to be adopted. Shortly after the dog has been fed, it is important to take them outside to go to the bathroom and exercise.
Socializing:
It will be important to socialize your animal(s) with as many people as possible to allow them to feel more comfortable with other people and not just yourself. If you have other animals in the house, slowly introduce and do not rush anything. Please just be patient, it does take time. If you are fostering puppies, you will notice how much the mother interacts with them. They learn a lot from their mother, but they also need a lot of people interaction and attention too as they get older.
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