The goal of the Dubuque Regional Humane Society’s (DRHS) foster care program is to rehabilitate animals in order to make them available for adoption. Cats, kittens, dogs, puppies, and various small mammals are able to find forever homes with the help of our dedicated foster families.
What is a foster parent?
A volunteer foster parent assists in the rehabilitation of an animal by providing in-home care. An animal may need a foster home for a variety of reasons including age, illness, injury, socialization, or to help provide needed space at the shelter for incoming animals.
What are the responsibilities of a foster parent?
It is the foster family’s responsibility to provide a clean, safe, and loving environment for our foster animals. Being a foster parent requires the following:
- A separate room or space in the home that keeps foster animals separate from your home animals
- Ability to commit to routine medical appointments
- Have access to transportation
- Be accessible by DRHS staff (phone, email, text, etc.)
- Must be 18 years of age
- If fostering dogs, a safe place to walk or an enclosed outdoor area where dogs can be supervised during outside time.
- While fostering does not necessarily take a lot of time, time commitments vary depending on the needs of each animal and must be considered before taking on any foster animal.
- Patience. Foster animals, like all animals, require patience as they transition to your home and environment.
If you have any questions about our foster program, contact us at foster@dbqhumane.org or fill out our digital application: https://form.jotform.com/243646009700149
