Volunteer positions
Foster parent - farm animals
Invercargill Centre
Our volunteer foster parents provide a temporary home for these animals and help them recover from surgery, give them medicine for an illness, or work with them to improve their behaviour.
We currently need foster parents to provide temporary homes for farm animals including horses sheep/lambs, chickens, goats, pigs and more. If you can offer farm animals a temporary area to live, please help by applying today.
Why foster an animal?
- If you can only open your home on a temporary basis, fostering an animal is a great way to help an animal in need
- Every animal that you foster is given a second chance at life – and the more you foster, the more lives you can help save
- All SPCA foster parents receive training and ongoing support from our foster department
- Our vets perform health checks and provide medicine as required.
What you need to help with animals?
- Time – animals can be placed for short or extended periods.
- Experience – foster carers need to have some experience with horses.
- Rural property – foster animals need to be housed rurally.
- Space – foster properties need to have at least one acre for their foster animals.
- Fencing – paddocks must be fully fenced with fencing suitable for horses.
- Shelter – foster animals must be provided with shelter.
- Consent from your landlord – if you don’t own your property.
- Care - Your love, patience and attention
What does fostering involve?
Every animal has different needs, but a typical foster experience might include:
- Filling out our application form, including photos of your property, to make sure fostering is right for you
- Your foster animal will be delivered and picked up from your place
- Vet visits and/or farriers will be arranged by SPCA
- Giving your foster animal care and attention
- Completing daily monitoring records
Foster FAQs
Can I foster if I have my own animals?
Yes, we welcome farm animal owners as foster volunteers. Please keep in mind there is always a health risk when mixing stock, so we advise that you do follow advice from the team and quarantining procedures.
Can I foster if I have a full-time job?
It depends on the flexibility of your job and your schedule, and the animal you would like to foster. Most of our foster parents do work full-time, but are able to spend time with their foster animals before and after work. It is, however important that you are able to accommodate vet visits in your schedule if a foster animal is ill and needs to be seen by a vet.
How much time do I need to spend with my foster animals?
As much time as you possibly can. The more time you spend with your foster animals, the more you will help with their socialisation and/or rehabilitation. You’ll also be able to spot signs that your animals are not feeling well, which in some cases could be critical.
How long do animals stay in foster care?
The typical foster stay is between two weeks to a couple of months, depending on the need of the individual animal.
What expenses are involved with foster care?
All medical expenses are covered for animals in foster care. Large animal foster parents will also have food for their foster animals provided where required.
If you have any questions, please email volunteer@spca.nz
Volunteer application
For: Foster parent - farm animals at Invercargill Centre
Thank you for your interest in fostering an animal from SPCA. Foster families are vital to the work of SPCA, and we simply couldn't help the huge number of animals we do without foster families, who provide love and care for animals in their own homes every year.
Please fill out the enquiry form below. If you are interested in fostering different types of animals, just submit the form once - we will ask you about your foster preferences later in the process. If you need assistance, please call the team at your local SPCA Centre.
A few things to note:
- You will need to be 18 years or over to foster an animal.
- Information collected as part of this application process may also be used for placement screening, administration, health, safety and wellbeing purposes, to communicate with you about your role, and to promote SPCA goods and services that may interest you. Information collected by SPCA will be treated in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020 and the SPCA Privacy Statement.
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Ngā mihi nui
The SPCA New Zealand Team