The Role of the Fosterer

Fostering for CAS can be a rewarding experience for the pet and non-pet owner alike.  The main responsibility is to care for an animal as though it were your own.

CAS rely heavily on volunteers to foster animals, they ask the fosterer to keep them regularly updated with information on the animal, ie it’s weight, height and general characteristics which CAS then forward on to their website and other charities throughout Europe to enable the animal to find a permanent home.  Animals can be fostered for anything from a few days up to months and can be from a few days old to years!  The fosterer feeds, walks and generally includes the animal in all family activities.  Dogs should be able to walk at least a little way on a leash. Many fosterers already have pets, which is not a pre-requisite but does help the animal to socialise.  However, some fosterers only have foster animals, giving them the freedom to only have a part-time pet when it suits them rather than the permanent long-term responsibility of ownership.  Occasionally the fosterer wants to keep the animal which is possible, if, the animal has not already been reserved by another adopter and CAS is notified immediately.

CAS try to remove animals from foster homes where the fosterer is experiencing difficulty with the dog or cat.  Finding another foster home is done as quickly as possible but can’t always be achieved within the same day.  Fosterers are in short supply and CAS are continually looking at ways to recruit more.  CAS are currently building up a network of people to allow fosterers to temporarily house their foster pets whilst on holiday and reciprocate the arrangement with the other local fosterer.

If the foster pet becomes ill or is in need of medication, CAS will pay for vet bills but once an animal is adopted the onus is on the owner.

Some animals are re-homed here in Spain and as a result occasionally potential new owners may ask to come and view the animal.  This can be done at the foster home or arrangements can be made to meet at another location.  Fosterers’ telephone numbers are published on the CAS website allowing adopters to contact the fosterers directly, there is no-one else in CAS who knows the animal better than the fosterer!

All manner of people can foster, from those living in the countryside to people in towns and villages, apartments and villas.  The only requirement is that the pet is cared for, fed and watered, kept warm when it’s cool and cool when it’s warm.

If you are interested in becoming a CAS fosterer, please contact Wendy on 952037095.