Foster Information

OK Humane does not have a shelter facility, so we rely on foster homes in the community to provide temporary care, shelter, and love for the animals in the adoption program. Food and medical care are provided free of charge for foster animals. Foster homes are an essential part of saving the lives of animals in Oklahoma City. The more foster homes available, the more animals can be saved!

Location: Your home, with some transportation to the clinic and adoption locations

Time Commitment: Varies from animal to animal. We need every type of foster from someone who can take animals for a day or two and people who can take special needs animals for several weeks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Got questions? We’ve got answers. Click here for answers to frequently asked questions about fostering.

How do I get started?

Click here to fill out a foster application online. Our Foster Coordinator will contact you soon and you will then attend a Foster Orientation, where you’ll learn all about our Foster Program and can sign some paperwork to get started. In a matter of no time you’ll be welcoming a foster pet into your home!

What does it take to be a foster?

All you need to do is open your heart and your home to an animal for a short period of time.

OK Humane provides each foster parent with:

• veterinary care
• food and supplies such as litter, crates, toys, leashes
• support from our Foster Coordinator and other staff
• inclusion in our online community of fosters and volunteers

Your responsibilities as a foster are pretty simple:

• provide basic care (food, water, and a safe place to stay) for the animal until it is adopted
• transport the animal to veterinary appointments for its spay/neuter surgery, vaccinations, etc.
• bring your foster animal to the Adoption Center or adoption outreach events until it is adopted
• most importantly, you give each foster love

What type of animal can I foster?

OK Humane’s adoption program accepts all types of dogs, cats, puppies and kittens, and each one needs a foster family to help prepare them for a new home. Our staff will work with you to ensure that you are able to foster animals that you are comfortable with and that fit into your home well. If you love to foster puppies, we’ll find puppies for you. If you’d rather foster adult cats, then that’s what you will be able to foster.

Still have questions? Contact our Foster Coordinator at (405) 286-1229 ext. 6 or email foster@okhumane.org.

How does fostering make a difference?

OK Humane’s goal is to end the needless euthanasia of animals in Oklahoma City, and by fostering you can contribute a great deal towards making that a reality. Each animal that is transferred out of the Oklahoma City Animal Shelter and into our adoption program (and into a foster home) is another life saved. Removing that animal from the shelter also makes room for another animal within the shelter, decreasing the overall need for euthanasia.

As a foster parent you have the ability to prepare each foster pet for success in their life after adoption. During their time in your home, foster pets have the chance to learn how to be a part of a family. They learn manners, routines, and how to love.

Already a foster?

We’re always here to support you while you save little lives. Check the list below to find out where to reach us.

There’s a new way to schedule your foster animals for their spay/neuter surgeries! Starting June 11, 2012, fosters will now contact the OK Humane Place Spay/Neuter Clinic directly by calling (405) 947-7729 or emailing clinic@okhumane.org. Specify that you need to schedule an OK Humane foster animal for surgery. The clinic staff will also need to know the following information:

• First and last name of the foster parent
• Phone number
• Animal species (dog or cat)
• Animal age
• Animal gender

Surgery drop-off and pick-up procedures for foster animals are also changing a little!

• Drop-off for all animals is now 8 AM – 9 AM
• Pick-up is now different for dogs and cats…
• Dog pick-up: 4:30 – 5:30 PM
• Cat pick-up: 5 – 5:30 PM

If your foster pet is 6 months or older, don’t forget to withhold food from your foster pet beginning at midnight the night before their surgery appointment. Foster animals who are younger than 6 months may be fed five pieces of food the morning before they come to surgery.

Resources

Are you on Facebook? Get connected by joining our online communities for foster parents!
OK Humane Volunteer Connection: Your link to the latest volunteer and foster opportunities and updates.
OK Humane Community Board: A place to share fun stories, pictures, and ask questions.

Want to buy your own foster crate instead of relying on a ‘rented’ crate from the Adoption Center? Here’s our recommendation.

Need training and behavioral help with your foster pet? Check out the ASPCA’s Virtual Pet Behaviorist here: http://aspcabehavior.org/

Click here to download the Foster Manual

Click here to download the Foster Agreement

Contact Us

We’re always here to support you while you save little lives. Check the list below to find out where to reach us.

Adoption Case Coordinator, Shanisty Whittington
(405) 286-1229 ext. 7
shanisty@okhumane.org

Foster/Volunteer Coordinator, Corrie Graybill
(405) 286-1229 ext. 6
corrie.graybill@okhumane.org
foster@okhumane.org

Adoption Center
(405) 286-1229 ext. 4
adoptions@okhumane.org

OK Humane Place Spay/Neuter Clinic
(405) 947-7729
clinic@okhumane.org

OK Humane Place Clinic Emergency Number for post-surgery complications
(405) 343-7057