Foster care volunteers provide temporary care for kittens, puppies, cats, and dogs in their homes. Some animals only need a home for two weeks, others may need three months. By offering your time, energy, and home to an animal in need, you prepare the animal for adoption into a permanent, loving home. PMHS is always looking for foster homes, especially throughout the busy spring and summer seasons. The more foster homes we have, the more lives we will be able to save.

How foster care works:

  • PMHS receives an animal that is not yet ready to be put up for adoption.
  • Pre-qualified foster homes are contacted. If you are called to foster an animal and cannot do it for any reason, we will find another foster home and call you the next time. It’s always okay to say you are not available.
  • The animal goes to the foster home until ready for adoption. You may need to bring the animal back to the shelter to be checked periodically by PMHS medical staff or to receive any necessary vaccines or treatments.
  • The animal is returned to PMHS for adoption. Animals coming out of foster care are spayed/neutered, unless already done so, and then placed up for adoption right away.

PMHS provides food, veterinary care and medicine for foster animals and lots of support to foster care volunteers. Foster care volunteers provide time, shelter, and lots of love.

How to become a Foster Care Volunteer:

  • Fill out a foster care application and return it to our Adoption & Foster Supervisor at [email protected] or in person at the shelter.
  • Your application will be reviewed. All cats, dogs, and/or ferrets in the home must be up to date on a rabies vaccine. PMHS will be contacting your veterinarian to verify this information.
  • Once the application has been reviewed, you will be contacted to discuss if you were approved or denied.
  • If APPROVED, a home-check will need to be scheduled and completed by a PMHS agent.
  • To become a foster care volunteer, please fill out and return a foster application to our Adoption & Foster Supervisor at [email protected] or contact the shelter at (603) 749-5322 to request an application by mail.

Three of the most common types of animals to be selected for foster care are:

  • Kittens or puppies who are too young to be at the shelter.
  • Cats or dogs that are nursing their litters of kittens or puppies and need to raise them in a home environment where they can all receive proper socialization.
  • Cats or dogs that are being treated for an illness such as upper respiratory infection or kennel cough, or have had surgery, and require daily medications and extra TLC.

If you have any questions or would like more information on the program, please contact Niki D’Alessandro at [email protected].