If you’re feeling the call to add a little love to your family but aren’t sure where to start, consider becoming a foster parent to one of our many foster
cats and
dogs at MaxFund Animal Adoption Center. There are so many benefits to opening your home to a new animal, even if it’s only temporary. In this blog, we’ll cover everything you need to know about becoming a foster parent, including information on what we look for, the process to apply, how we’re involved in the foster journey, and the benefits of opening your home to a furry friend.
What Does it Take to Become a MaxFund Foster Parent?
To qualify to become a foster parent for a MaxFund animal, there are a few key requirements that are necessary to meet. To be eligible to foster a pet with MaxFund, you must live within the Denver Metro area, pass a home visit safety inspection, and be able to bring the foster pet in for regular vaccines/deworming and exams as necessary. We also prefer that fosters are not away from home full-time, but rather work from home, work part time and spend enough time at home to ensure the proper socialization for the foster animal.
Personality and Lifestyle Traits that Make a Stellar Foster Parent
In addition to these requirements, there are a few standout traits we’ve noticed in our most successful foster care participants. First, a good foster is committed to providing a dog or cat with the proper nourishment, activity, and care they require. Things like feeding, walking, playing, and cuddling are vital for not only the physical health of a foster animal, but also their mental health.
Additionally, good communication skills are a vital part of the foster care program. As a MaxFund foster, you’re also a representative of MaxFund and will need to be available to update us on the animal and their health and wellness.
Lastly, an understanding of the duties of volunteerism. Animal fosters are not paid, except for in the form of love from their furry friend. Being a foster parent may be a more accessible way to welcome an animal into your home than a full-blown adoption, but that doesn’t mean the commitment is any less serious. After all, the livelihood of another living being is nothing to throw around. To an animal, foster or not, your relationship is the most important thing in their life.
Now that you’re aware of the level of commitment it takes to be a MaxFund foster, let’s talk about the fine details: the process and benefits of fostering a pet!
What Role does MaxFund Play in the Foster Process?
Since 1988, MaxFund has been committed to the care of Colorado’s needy, abandoned, and injured animals. Our mission includes not only sheltering and rehabilitating those animals but also providing them with whatever level of care necessary so they can thrive, fosters included. As part of our commitment to you as a foster, MaxFund Animal Adoption Center will provide care and support at every step of the foster journey.
This includes ongoing access to a dedicated Foster Coordinator and Veterinary Technician to answer any health or behavior-related questions. We also provide the necessary vaccines, medications, collars, and tags for your foster pet. If your foster animal requires prescription food, it is supplied by MaxFund. And of course, ongoing
Veterinary Clinic care during clinic hours, including emergency veterinary care(with approval of a Foster Coordinator).
The Benefits of Fostering an Animal
A fostering relationship between a human and an animal is a mutually beneficial one, built on trust, loyalty, and love. Here are the ways fostering an animal has positively impacted the lives of foster pets, as well as foster families, including children!
How Fostering a Pet Improves that Animal’s Life
The shelter environment, regardless of the level of peace and comfort we are able to build into it here at MaxFund, can be a stressful one for animals, especially those with tragic pasts and illnesses or injuries. Fostering provides those animals a bit more respite than the typical shelter can. Animals in foster care often experience improved physical health, and increased overall mental health including a decrease in stress. Kittens and puppies who enter the foster program are often known to develop good social skills and more welcoming personalities, especially to kids and other animals.
The Flip Side: The Benefits to Becoming a Foster Parent
While these added benefits aren’t the reason many people decide to become fosters, they are a great incentive when weighing the pros and cons of becoming a foster parent. Let’s dive in to the mental, physical, and familial benefits to adding a foster animal to your family.
Mental Wellness: A Hidden Benefit to Fostering
When accepting the responsibility of being a foster parent to a MaxFund animal, you’re awarded a few added perks from this new relationship. Foster parents often feel a reduction in their stress levels and their loneliness. Fosters also see an increase in social interaction, emotional support, mindfulness, and overall mood. Plus, on top of all these factors, fostering a pet can bring an individual or family a newfound sense of purpose. But that’s not all the benefits to fostering an animal. Check out the physical wellness benefits!
Improved Physical Health: A Surprising Uptick
Fostering a pet is a stress reducer, which in turn means fosters often (but not always) see lower blood pressure, and lower risk of heart disease. Fostering also leads to a more active lifestyle because foster pets need exercise and activity. The last notable, potential physical benefit to fostering a cat or dog is a strengthened immune system. According to a study done in Finland (as reported by
Orlando Health) getting a pet has a protective effect on respiratory systems, thus improving immune function. This is particularly true for children, who experience other added benefits from animal stewardship.
How Children Benefit from Pet Ownership
Introducing your child to the life of pet ownership or pet fostering has many benefits for their development. Bringing an animal into their lives allows children the opportunity to practice their personal responsibility and learn empathy. It also helps your child to develop better social skills, as well as providing them with more reasons to maintain an active lifestyle. Overall, there are so many benefits to adding a foster pet to your family. Let's talk about the application process to become a MaxFund Foster.
How to Apply to Become the Foster Parent of a MaxFund Animal:
So, you’re ready to start your journey as a foster for MaxFund Animal Adoption Center. That’s great news! To apply, visit our
Foster Care Information page. If you have any additional questions that weren’t answered here, don’t hesitate to reach out to our expert staff for more information. Contact our Foster Coordinator to get started:
fostering@maxfund.org