Your next purpose-filled chapter and ‘everyday hero’ story might just involve a four-legged South African in need of a loving place to call their temporary home. If you’ve ever thought about becoming a fosterer, here’s what you need to know:
Cape Town, South Africa (31 July 2024)—The need for animal foster homes continues to rise in South Africa, as does the number of people stepping up to provide temporary care for pets in need. The path of the fosterer might not be for everyone, but if we’re barking up the right tree, it might just be your next purpose-filled chapter and ‘everyday hero’ story.
Many cats and dogs find themselves in shelters for an abundance of reasons. Some cases stem from neglect and abandonment, while others end up in the care of animal welfare because their owners can’t provide for them anymore.
While shelters are a god-sent for many animals who have suffered harsh environments or have been left to fend for themselves on the streets, they are often overcrowded and under-resourced, meaning individual animals can’t always get the care and attention they need.
Meeting in the middle grounds between shelters and forever homes are foster homes, which provide a safe and nurturing environment for animals to thrive while they await the new families they’ll become a part of.
But there are other reasons beyond this that make fostering quite impactful—both for the fosterers and the foster pet!
Why Foster?
“Foster parents play a crucial role in the rehabilitation of animals,” says global animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS director Fiona Miles. “They provide the care and attention that animals need to recover and thrive. As a foster parent, you become an advocate for your foster pet, helping them find their forever home.”
1. Fostering Reduces Stress on Shelters
When an animal gets to experience a temporary home, it helps lessen the stress of too many animals on shelters, all while giving the individual pet some much-needed space. This way, more animals (both in the shelter and in the foster home) can get more attention and care.
2. Enhancing Adoptability
When animals have time to adjust to a home environment, their social skills and behaviour tends to improve making them more likely to book a ticket to their forever home!
3. A One-of-a-kind Dose of Fulfilment
Fostering isn’t just rewarding for the animal who gets to call a new pad home for a while. For the fosterer, it all tends to create a unique sense of fulfilment that supports animal well-being in a way that’s one step below adopting.
How to Become a Foster Parent
1. Assess your readiness
Ask yourself if you have the time, resources, and commitment to care for a foster pet. Consider your day-to-day routines, lifestyle, family dynamics and anything else that makes your life your own, and decide whether you have the capacity to make room for an animal in need. You can check out a detailed foster readiness guide here!
2. Apply
The application process should be considered with a reputable shelter/organisation in mind. It should involve a home check to ensure a safe environment for the foster pet.
3. Seek Training and Support
If approved, you can receive training on caring for a foster pet, including understanding their needs and behaviour as well as potential challenges and how to handle them. Find some more guidance here.
4. Prepare for your Foster Pal!
Make sure you’ve got all the necessary supplies including food, bedding and toys. Make sure to create a space that the foster pet can call their own.
Those who think they’ve got what it takes to be a loving foster parent can learn more from FOUR PAWS, here.
Sources: FOUR PAWS
Don’t ever miss the Good Things. Download the Good Things Guy App now on Apple or Google.
Do you have something to add to this story? Please share it in the comments or follow GoodThingsGuy on Facebook & Twitter to keep up to date with good news as it happens, or share your good news with us by clicking here or click the link below to listen to the Good Things Guy Podcast with Brent Lindeque – South Africa’s very own Good Things Guy. He’s on a mission to change what the world pays attention to, and he truly believes there’s good news around us. In the Good Things Guy podcast, you’ll meet these everyday heroes & hear their incredible stories:
Or watch an episode of Good Things TV below, a show created to offer South Africans balance in a world with what feels like constant bad news. We’re here to remind you that there are still so many good things happening in South Africa & we’ll leave you feeling a little more proudly South African.
by 