Volunteer positions

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 need foster parents to provide temporary homes for sick cats, behavioural cats, dogs needing extra support and neonates.

Please help by applying today.

• If you can only open your home on a temporary basis, fostering an animal is a great way to rescue 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.
• We supply all food, bedding, toys and everything else to make the animals comfortable while staying in your home.
• By offering a quiet space, patience and practical care, you can help a vulnerable animal recover, grow stronger and get ready for their next chapter.

• Time – on average an animal will be staying with you between 3-6 weeks but this can differ depending on the animal you foster
• Spare room (required for cats but also useful for dogs) – a safe and secure space away from other animals which could be a spare room, bathroom or laundry.
• Written consent from your landlord – if you don’t own your home.
• Care – most animals will require medication throughout their stay (training on how to medicate an animal is provided)
• Transport – you will need your own transport 24/7 to bring foster animals to and from the centre or to an after-hours vet should your foster animal need emergency veterinary treatment in the middle of the night. Some animals might need more than one visit (this is not required for large farm animals as we can help with transport to the foster home)
• Availability for vet appointments – you will need to be able to bring the foster animal to vet appointments on weekdays.
• Patience, compassion and emotional resilience, along with the confidence to ask for support when circumstances change or the experience becomes difficult.

Special notes:

• Our dog foster parents ideally should have experience with handling dogs, and need to be at home for at least part of the day; this is because many of the dogs and puppies that are needing foster require socialisation and special training as many have never experienced a real home environment before.
• High-needs fostering requires more time, flexibility and hands-on care than a standard foster placement. Animals may need frequent medication, close monitoring, extra cleaning or urgent veterinary visits, and their condition or behaviour can sometimes change quickly.

Which animals need foster care?

• Sick cats - Cats recovering from illnesses such as cat flu or ringworm who need medication, monitoring, extra cleaning and a safe space to recover.
  
• Behavioural cats - Fractious kittens, nervous cats and cats who need time and patience to learn to trust people and become more confident.
• Dogs needing extra support - Adult dogs who may benefit from a calm home environment, additional structure, patience and one-on-one care.
• Neonates - Tiny, vulnerable kittens who need dedicated carers able to provide frequent feeds, warmth, monitoring and lots of TLC.

Can I foster if I have my own pets and family?

Yes, we welcome pet owners as foster volunteers. However, there is always a health risk when introducing your pets to animals from outside your household, so we require your own pets to be fully vaccinated.

If you are fostering an animal that is unwell or has a contagious condition, they must be kept completely separate from your own pets to help reduce the risk of infection. A suitable isolation space is essential, and these placements may be best suited to homes without other pets or those that can safely provide complete separation for a foster animal.

Can I foster if I have a health condition?

For health and safety reasons, high-needs fostering may not be suitable if you are pregnant, have a compromised immune system or another health condition that could increase your risk, or simply do not feel comfortable having an unwell animal in your home.

If you are unsure whether specialist fostering is suitable for you, we encourage you to speak with your healthcare provider and our foster team before applying. depends on the flexibility of your job and your schedule, and the animal you would like to foster.

How much time do I need to spend with my foster animals?

Please note that high-needs fostering requires more time, flexibility and hands-on care than a standard foster placement. Animals may need frequent medication, close monitoring, extra cleaning and urgent veterinary visits, and their condition may change quickly.

Neonate fostering can involve frequent feeding and care around the clock, so flexibility and availability are important.

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?

Foster families are provided with all the food, bedding, equipment (such as litter trays) and medical expenses are covered for the animals in their care.

If you have any questions, please call 03 473 8252 (Dunedin reception) or 021300985 (Fostering coordinator) or email dunedin.reception@spca.nz.