Foster carers needed!
Want to adopt or foster a pet?
Find a furry friend by visiting your local state member’s adoption service
What is pet foster care?
Foster carers give shelter animals the opportunity to temporarily spend time in a safe and loving home environment. It is a chance for the animals to experience, enjoy and learn from the care and attention that is lavished on pets with permanent homes. This nurturing and loving support is provided until the shelter animal is ready to be adopted.
The number of shelter animals is growing and the need for more foster carers is greater than ever. Every animal in a foster home is one less that shelter staff and volunteers need to assist, creating a greater capacity for other animals to be welcomed into care.
A foster animal brings challenges and commitments, but these are far outweighed by the benefits to both the animal and carer.
Why do pets need foster care?
Animals are fostered out for many reasons, including:
- Puppies and kittens who are too young and/or underweight to be desexed and made available for adoption
- Pregnant animals awaiting the birth of their babies and mothers with newborn litters
- Animals who aren’t coping in the shelter environment
- Animals in need of nurturing in order to recover from injury or illness
- Animals with non-aggressive behavioural problems and who need rehabilitation to be considered suitable for adoption
- Emergency care animals awaiting their owner’s return from a hospital stay or in need of a safe haven during domestic violence
- Legacy animals whose owners have passed away
- Animals who cannot be housed at a shelter because of limited facilities
- Animals evacuated during community emergencies such as bushfire, cyclone and floods
- Animals awaiting the outcome of a court case.
Benefits for the animal
Fostering provides consistency for animals in a quiet, low-stress setting, and offers more opportunities for socialisation. This enrichment of the animal is achieved through family and environmental contact, learning toys, training time, play time and diverse experiences. Together, they produce a well-socialised and healthy animal that is ready to be adopted.
Benefits for the carer
Taking an animal into the home, caring for them, and watching them become happy and healthy is very rewarding. Even short-term care offers the carer a sense of accomplishment and the knowledge that they have played a lifesaving role in an animal’s life.
Want to adopt or foster a pet?
Find a furry friend by visiting your local state member’s adoption service
Foster Care Tales
From grief to hope: How fostering Lotus helped Wendy to heal
Posted: December 2025
Fostering improved Wendy Cun’s mental health and strengthened her relationship with her partner. She was pleasantly surprised by how easy the process was – plus, all the costs were covered. Wendy encourages anyone grieving a pet or unsure about long-term commitment to consider fostering as an affordable, meaningful way to help animals while still enjoying a pet’s companionship.
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A WA family finds joy and transformation through their first foster pet
Posted: December 2025
Cally and her children welcomed their first foster pet through CANA member SAFE Inc in WA, and the experience changed them all. In a heartfelt letter, she shares how Bo, a timid and gentle boy, blossomed under their care and brought unexpected joy to their family. Their story is a beautiful reminder of how fostering transforms lives on both sides.
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A heart for every dog: Dekota’s foster story
Posted: November 2025
For Dekota Mark, fostering for Dogs’ Homes of Tasmania began as a way to give back. It has become a source of connection, purpose and a constant reminder of the difference one household can make in a dog’s life.
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Meet Hans: The veteran foster carer giving Tassie dogs their second chance
Posted: November 2025
For more than 30 years, Hans Hermans has volunteered with Dogs’ Homes of Tasmania, becoming the organisation’s longest-serving foster carer. In that time, he’s opened his home to countless dogs, giving each one the stability, confidence and love they needed to thrive in their adoptive home.
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Meet Kate, the foster carer (and cat doula!) giving Adelaide’s rescue cats a second chance
Posted: November 2025
Kate O’Leary has fostered countless felines through Ginger Ninja Rescue, including Potato, a disabled kitten who became her beloved foster fail. Today, he helps welcome every new foster while Kate and her daughters continue giving vulnerable cats a safe place to heal.
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The Man Behind 138 Wagging Tails: Andrew’s Foster Story
Posted: November 2025
Through Scruffer Lovers, Adelaide carer Andrew Hutton has fostered more than a hundred dogs, guiding them from fear to confidence. With the help of his ‘foster failure’ Kelpie cross, Kiani, Andrew says fostering has been life-changing for both the dogs he supports and for himself.
[Read More]