FAQs • Nacogdoches, TX • CivicEngage

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Fostering

1. What is fostering?: Well, let me tell you! It is opening your home and heart to a rescue animal in need of a temporary home until we can find the right forever-home for each individual dog / cat.

2. How long does it last?: We have need for both short term and long term fostering. Short term fostering is generally a weekend or a week long thing. Long term fostering is generally until we can find a suitable forever home (average of about 8 to 10 weeks).

3. What am I responsible for?: We ask that the foster parents please provide good quality dog food. We also would like the foster home to give the dog some basic training such as housebreaking, sit, and leash manners, anything to make the dog / cat more appealing.

Nacogdoches Animal Shelter and Humane Society will manage the veterinary care and generally any extenuating training situations. Nacogdoches Animal Shelter can provide a crate for dogs, so the foster can limit the puppy damage of an untrained youngster.

4. What kind of dogs / cats are these? Are they aggressive?: Well, we certainly hope not. Nacogdoches Animal Shelter evaluates the dogs and cats prior to agreeing to claim the dogs / cats. Many are either strays or were given up by their previous owners for many reasons. The main issues we have with these dogs / cats are that they have little to no training and they are generally attention starved.

Some might have health issues such as heartworm positive tests. We treat these dogs and then try to get them placed. Some are older; some are young and still silly. These dogs, as a rule, are very good-natured dogs that just need to learn how to live with a family that truly deserve some love and attention.

Nacogdoches Animal Shelter will never knowingly place animals in foster care if the animal has bitten someone or shows any signs of aggression.

5. What special things do I need to have in order to foster?: If you have a love of dogs / cats, a bit of extra love and time to spend with a needy dog, a fence, and you are willing to allow the dog / cat to be part of your life for a while (including sleeping inside), we would love to have you apply to foster an animal within the shelter. It is not necessary to devote hours a day to the dog / cat; oftentimes, just having the dog / cat near you satisfies many of them, especially our older residences.

6. Why should I foster?: There are many reasons to foster an animal first and foremost the opportunity to save a life. These animals are special and our foster families do grow attached! Our foster families know when the animals meet its new family how special it is for that animal to have a place of its own.

This is also a great opportunity to teach your kids about the responsibilities of pet ownership as well as what happens to animals that are not wanted and how they can make a difference.

7. What if I get attached?: The short answer is that the few fosters we do have do become attached. Most have decided that they want to save several lives rather than just one and choose to let the animal move on so that they can then help another animal. Falling for the animal just gives another indication that he was worth saving!

Our long term fosters have discovered how rewarding it is to get pictures and email updates from the new families. These happy moments make it worthwhile to foster again and again. Even the ones who only foster one time have said that it is a great experience and was awesome when their foster animal found its forever home!

8. How do I begin?: Please email Tommy Wheeler or call (936) 560-5011 and leave your name, phone number, and address and let us know that you would like an application to foster. We will gladly drop one in the mail. We look forward to hearing from you!

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