BECOMING A FOSTER HERO

Zion’s Mission Animal Rescue is a foster based rescue, which means we depend heavily on our foster team to help us help the animals in need. We need like minded people who believe strongly in our mission and have an affinity to helping all homeless animals.

We would pair you with a dog we believe would be a good match for you and will support you through the whole foster process so you and the animal in need will have everything to live comfortably together.

WHY BECOME A FOSTER?

Fostering is an essential part of rescuing. By opening your homes and your hearts, you are:

  • Helping an animal get adopted faster. Statistics show that an animal in foster increases the chance of them getting adopted by helping potential adopters see the unique personalities of the animal in a home setting.

  • Improving wellness. Many animals do not do well in shelters, which can increase anxiety, stress and other health issues. Giving an animal a home setting allows them to live more comfortably, regain trust with humans and allow them to heal from past health ailments.

  • Providing Necessary Support. The truth is, not all animals are ready to adopt out immediately. Many animals need time to relearn how to live with humans, trust us, and relearn to socialize. In many cases, a foster is the animal’s first exposure to receiving love and care. This is an important step to helping the animal transition from a shelter or previously abusive household to their future forever home.

FOSTER FAQS

  • Please see our foster agreement form here

  • All medical bills and food expenses are covered by the rescue, so you wouldn’t have to worry about that! You will however be responsible for:

    • Transporting the animal to and from the vet.

    • Communicating with the rescue on the wellbeing of the animal.

    • Taking photos of the animal to share with the rescue to promote the animal for adoption

    • Providing the animal with a healthy lifestyle, which includes exercise.

    • All dogs must be leashed when in public and must wear a Zion’s Mission tag and “adopt me” bandana.

    • Dogs must never, under any circumstances, be tied up outside with any supervision

  • Yes we do!

  • If you have animals in your home already, they must be spayed/neutered, friendly with other animals, and up to date on all vaccines already before we allow one of our animals to enter your home. We will help introduce the foster dog to your residential animals to make sure they get along before a foster is finalized.

  • As a foster, flexibility is necessary. While we will do our best to match you with an animal that we believe will suite your household and personality, we ask that you keep an open mind and heart with all of our animals.

  • Absolutely not! We receive many animals who are children friendly and love to play with kids. Children should never be left alone with a foster animal and never kick, hit, mount, push or yell at the animal. Any child who is under the age of 13 cannot walk a foster dog without an adult with them.

  • Fosters should be prepared to home an animal for a minimum of 3 months. While some animals get adopted faster than that, sometimes it takes longer to find an adopter. We will provide all onboarding training if needed to ensure a seamless transition to the foster home.

  • Yes we do! Zion’s Mission has a soft spot for hospice animals and strive to give them a more comfortable life that they would not have in a shelter for the time they have left, which is why we also cover all medical and care costs. Becoming a Fospice Hero is not for the weak, but are for the most dedicated animal lovers. When applying, please specify if you would like to do hospice fostering.