Foster Care  

Thank you for your interest in becoming a foster care volunteer for Humane Society of the Treasure Coast's shelter pets.  The following outlines the terms and conditions that apply to any foster contracts.  In any foster case, you will be required to sign a legally binding contract confirming your acceptance of the terms, conditions and requirements prior to receiving the animal(s).  It is imperative you understand and adhere to the terms, and resolve any concerns or questions prior to entering into the contract with the HSTC Foster Manager, or consult with your attorney. Failure to adhere to these requirements may result in legal action or disqualification as a foster care volunteer.

• You must meet and maintain qualifications as a foster home.  You must advise the Foster Manager in a timely manner of any changes to the foster home conditions such as moving, new pets, etc. 
• Foster volunteer service is granted as; 2 hours/day, or; 3 hours/day for large litters, complex medical cases or adoption assistance, or; 8 hours/day for up to 4 weeks for bottle feeding. 
• Foster animal(s) are and remain the property of the HSTC.  You must abide by any decisions made by shelter management and/or its Veterinarian regarding treatment and return of the foster animal(s) to HSTC. 

You must:

• Contact the HSTC animal care staff in a timely manner to schedule planned exams or treatments.
• Promptly respond to inquiries from HSTC Staff. 
• Return the animal on the established return date, and/or contact the Foster Manager to discuss adoption.  You understand that the animal(s) must be medically-cleared by HSTC's Veterinarian and meet all adoption requirements prior to becoming adoption-eligible.

You must:

• Keep your pet(s) separated from the foster animal(s) for the first seven days.  Note:  This will assist the foster animal to acclimate to your home, and lessen the chance of spread of any communicable disease to your household pet(s). 
• Keep the foster animal(s) indoors at all times unless on a leash accompanied by you or a household member. if the animal gets loose or becomes lost, I will immediately contact HSTC and notify Animal Control.

Should the foster animal(s) become ill or injured while in your care, you will adhere to the following:

• Except as provided below, any medical care must be provided by HSTC's on-site Veterinarian.
• Contact Animal Care staff at 772-223-8822, ext 3245 or dogfoster@hstc1.com for Dogs/Critters or ext 3248 or catfoster@hstc1.org for cats to schedule an appointment.  If you have difficulty reaching them, contact the Foster Manager at (772-600-3220) or contact Customer Service at 772-223-8822.
• HSTC Animal Care staff may determine it is necessary that the animal be taken to Palm City Animal Clinic, 3090 SW Mapp Rd, Palm City (772-283-0920).  HSTC will schedule the appointment, or may authorize you to contact them directly.  
• If the shelter is closed and the pet appears to need immediate medical attention, call Palm City Animal Clinic directly.  If Palm City Animal Clinic is closed and the pet is clearly injured, in pain or its life seems at risk, contact Pet Emergency, 2239 S Kanner Hwy, Stuart (772-781-3302).   

NOTE:  If it is necessary for you to take the foster animal(s) to Palm City Animal Clinic or Pet Emergency, you must bring the Foster Contract showing the animal's ID number and description and the shelter medical history to the appointment.  If you fail to do so you will be responsible for those charges and will not be reimbursed by HSTC.

• If fostering dogs, you understand that an animal's temperament and behavior while at HSTC's shelter setting is not an absolute predictor of future behavior.  Therefore, except in cases of contagion or major illness or injury, HSTC strongly recommends a dog meet with any household dogs, and with any children under 10 years of age prior to taking them into your foster home.
• You understand and agree that HSTC is not responsible for any property damages, injuries or illness that might occur during your fostering of HSTC animal(s).  Any damages, injuries or illness are your sole responsibility.

As a Foster volunteer, your compassionate care for shelter animals is essential to the mission of HSTC.  We thank you for your commitment to the animals, compliance with these rules and procedures and loving care for these pets.

We are excited to announce a new foster program at HSTC. Canine in Training (CIT) Fosters are a core group of HSTC fosters that are committed to training and enriching our shelter dog’s lives in foster homes. These special, foster volunteers work hand-in-hand with our Animal Behavior & Training Specialist, Heidi Fischer, to ensure that the shelter dog is advancing their basic obedience skills while in foster care. The main objective of the CIT Foster program is to accelerate dog adoptions and promote pet retention by training shelter dogs prior to their adoption. Most of the dogs eligible for this program have never been trained or have had the opportunity to simply be a dog, so the love, consistency, and training they would be granted through the CIT Foster program would be instrumental to their adoption success.

Those interested in becoming a CIT Foster should note that there should not be any small children or other pets in the home. To learn more or to sign up, please contact HFisher@hstc1.org or 772-600-3207