Together we can save more lives! Potter League foster care volunteers provide a temporary home to kittens, puppies, dogs and cats, preparing those pets for adoption into lasting, loving homes. Foster care saves lives by expanding our capacity to shelter and care for homeless animals beyond the walls of our Animal Care & Adoption Center.

Fostering Saves Lives

The foster program is a lifeline for so many pets.
Being a Potter League for Animals foster parent is one of the most rewarding volunteer opportunities that we have to offer. You can cuddle with adorable puppies, bottle feed infant kittens, care for animals during a medical recovery and more! Foster volunteers open their homes to provide temporary care for kittens, puppies, cats, and dogs and small animals. A quiet, stress-free, loving environment gives every foster pet a better chance at a happy, health life with their forever family. At the Potter League, we often have animals that need fostering because they’re too young, orphaned, or have a behavioral or medical condition that needs monitoring. Since these animals need more one-on-one time than we can give ourselves, we look for willing Foster Care volunteers to help us by taking these animals into their homes for a little while.

Become a Foster Care Provider

As a foster care volunteer, you offer your time, energy and home to animals in need, and the Potter League provides the training, supplies and access to around-the-clock veterinary care you need to successfully care for foster pets. Our online orientations are designed to create confident foster parents resulting in a comfortable and rewarding foster experience.

All foster care providers must:

  • Be at least 18 years of age. Children are very welcome to assist with foster care when safe and appropriate.
  • Register as a foster care volunteer.
  • Complete a brief foster orientation (we’ll email you to schedule).
  • Adhere to our fostering guidelines.
  • Primary foster volunteer must have own transportation.
  • Live within 40 miles of the shelter.
  • Abide by all state animal laws & regulations that apply to their area of residence.
  • Please note: Due to Massachusetts state regulations, we are no longer able to place foster animals in homes located in Massachusetts.

Benefits of Fostering with the PLFA

  • We provide food, cat litter, and other supplies for foster animals.
  • In all cases, the Potter League makes arrangements and pays for medical care.
  • You can decide to foster anywhere from two weeks to two months or more. And you can choose to foster just one time or many, many times. The more you foster, the more lives you save!

There’s no obligation to place the pets yourself, so when its time for adoption, they’ll come back to our adoption center. And if at any time, you need support, we are ready to jump in.

Want to Help Your Foster Pet Find Their Perfect Match?

Check out our Foster Marketing Toolkit—a comprehensive guide filled with tips, creative ideas, and resources to help you showcase your foster pet’s unique personality. From social media strategies to photo tips and bio writing tricks, we’ve got everything you need to make your foster shine.

Foster Marketing Toolkit

Ready to open your heart and home to an animal in need?

Begin the process by completing our foster application. The questions asked in the application ensure your foster experience is positive for you and our shelter pets.
Dog Foster Application
Cat Foster Application
Small Animal Foster Application

Questions about fostering?

Contact Us
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