This blog post was originally published in November 2016. We are thrilled that more and more organizations have continued to try short-term fostering! Looking to give back in a meaningful way this holiday season, while bringing some magic into your heart and home? You’re in luck, because ’tis the season to #FalalaFoster, even for first-timers!… Learn More

Pitt County Animal Services (PCAS) may not have a lot of resources, but that doesn’t keep them from trying new ideas to save lives. In July of 2002 they took over shelter operations from the City of Greenville, NC. At that time, only 25% of animals were leaving the shelter alive. It’s been a long… Learn More

Emergency foster care initiatives can be a game-changer when an organization or one of its partners is in crisis. Quickly sending pets to foster homes at these crucial times can save lives, but the messaging can be tricky. Emergency foster pleas need to be urgent enough to motivate the community to act, but too much… Learn More

Being completely transparent with potential adopters about pets’ history and behavior is critical. However, telling all of pets’ flaws in the pet’s adoption marketing often leads to long shelter stays because certain phrases act as “stop signs,” even for the perfect potential adopter. To keep this from happening, we’re sharing targeted techniques for separating marketing… Learn More

If your shelter or rescue is interested in starting or expanding a short-term foster program and improving quality of life for dogs in its care, the Maddie’s® Short-term Foster and Field Trip Online Apprenticeship is for you! The 3-week course replicates as closely as possible the onsite Maddie’s® Field Trip and Sleepover Foster Apprenticeship, all… Learn More

Summers in Nashville are notoriously hot and humid, and this July day was no exception. The temperature hit 94 degrees before noon. Right around that time at Nashville Humane Association (NHA), the power went out. It didn’t take long for the building to begin steaming up. Animals began to pant in the heat. The power… Learn More

Do you know how your foster volunteers feel about their work with your organization? Looking for ways to retain current foster caregivers? Want to develop stronger customer service for your foster caregivers?   If you answered yes to any of these questions, the Foster Assessment System Tool, or FAST-15 for short, is for YOU!  “Foster volunteers… Learn More

Space was getting tight in all three of Animal Care Centers of New York City’s shelters. They had just completed a successful adoption event, but their dog kennels remained stubbornly full. Staff felt as though they’d saturated the local adoption market and multiple pleas for fosters hadn’t been as successful as they had hoped. They… Learn More

Along with reduced-fee adoption events, emergency foster care is becoming the go-to answer for nearly every crisis an animal shelter can have, including natural disasters, outbreaks of contagious illness, population surges and building renovations. Emergency foster care enables shelters to greatly increase their capacity for care for a short period of time, taking strain off… Learn More

Did you know that when bringing your new foster cat home, you should generally avoid leaving them in laundry rooms or kitchens? That’s one of the many tips shared by Cat Town in their new Flash Class, Bringing Your Foster Cat Home. “Cats are super sensitive to change, so you want to think about where… Learn More