BC SPCA’s across the North are seeking new foster homes for the summer season as there’s an elevated demand for foster families during the warmer months.
According to Michelle Rodgers, Senior Manager of Volunteer Resources, the demand increases every year in the summer due to people’s changing availability for vacation time, and more animals are displaced due to natural disasters such as wildfires.
“Foster volunteers provide thousands of vulnerable animals with care, support, and, more importantly, a place to thrive and recover every time they open their homes to an animal from a shelter,” explained Rogers in a news release.
She adds that fostering also helps prepare animals for adoption by giving them a chance to live in a home where they can fully express their personality, work to overcome fears or recover from trauma.
“In the spring and summer months, we see an influx in kittens and nursing cats,” she said. “We could not provide the level of care and support these animals need without our foster program and the volunteers who provide a safe, comfortable home for them.”
According to the BC SPCA website, due to the urgent nature of their wildfire emergency response efforts, they are unable to provide training to new emergency response team members for the time being but are still in need of foster volunteers.
The following is a list of requirements needed to become a foster volunteer with the BC SPCA:
- 19+ years of age to complete an application
- Landlord approval if you are renting
- A room with a closing door and windows where you can provide a quiet, designated space for your foster animal
- Access to transportation to bring your foster animals to appointments, treatments, and weigh-ins at the local BC SPCA or veterinary clinics
- Ability to spend time with your foster animal and monitor their health and wellbeing
Those looking to become a foster volunteer for the SPCA must apply on the BC SPCA website.