Pet Fostering
Foster homes are essential to giving our animals the new beginning they deserve. For many, these temporary homes mark their first experience living indoors and receiving love and care from a human—a rewarding experience that is invaluable to the adoption process.
Become a Foster
Fostering Requirements
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- Located in the Calgary area.
- Willingness to attend occasional adoption events to increase chances of the animal finding a permanent home.
- Commit to at least 6 months of fostering before adopting.
- We can only rescue as many animals as we have foster homes for, so it is necessary we have committed foster homes on an ongoing basis.
Benefits of Fostering
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- Make a real difference in the life of a rescued animal and assist them on their journey to adoption.
- Enjoy the flexibility of taking breaks between fosters and have your vacations accommodated.
- Provide your family with a hands-on opportunity to understand the responsibilities of pet care before adopting.
- Receive support and resources from ARF to ensure a successful and rewarding fostering experience.
Care & Training
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Foster homes are required to care and attend to all the animal’s needs, including but not limited to:
- Feeding, walking and training
- Transportation to vet appointments
- Hosting potential adopters in your home to meet your foster
- Transportation to vet appointments
We ask that foster homes practice reward-based techniques when training their foster animal. For more information view our training and resources page below.
Fostering Opportunities
If you’re interested in any of the following opportunities, please fill out an application and you will be contacted by our Program Coordinator.
Foster Homes
Provide care for young and adult animals ready for adoption and support them through the process.
Holding Areas
Support young and adult animals that have been urgently rescued as they await foster placement.
Foster Sitters
Help foster families that are on vacation by providing short-term care for the animals they’re looking after.
Dog Recovery Homes
Support dogs recovering from surgery with a safe space to heal over 2-3 months.
Rewarding Good Behaviour
At ARF, the well-being of our animals always comes first. That’s why we ask our volunteers, foster homes, and adopters to practice positive reinforcement and reward-based methods in their training.