Become a Foster, Save a Life!

Foster families are essential members of the Nashville Humane Association family! Fostering is a rewarding and enriching experience that provides pets with a loving, temporary home while they’re waiting to be adopted.

Foster caregivers provide temporary care for cats, kittens, dogs and puppies in their homes. Time commitments for foster care can range from a few days to a few weeks, depending on the reason for foster placement.

Because shelters have limited capacity, the number of lives they save depends entirely on the number of fosters willing to open their homes to them. Fostering provides pets with the best environment for their well-being while waiting for their adopter! It allows them to practice forming bonds with humans and other animals. Fostering also provides pets with the best possible advocate for their adoption – their foster parent! If you are interested in opening your home and providing socialization and love to a shelter animal, fostering might be for you!

Quick Reference

The Benefits of Fostering

There are so many benefits to opening your heart and home to foster a pet, but just to name a few:

Have a furry companion without the lifetime commitment.

Help a pet recover, with all the medical care covered by NHA.

Give extra TLC to pets who are too young to be adopted.

Open up space at the shelter for another pet – or two – to be saved.

Foster Application >>

Frequently Asked Questions

We are so excited you’re joining our Nashville Humane Association Foster Family!

Click here to fill out a foster application!

Once your application is reviewed and accepted, you will receive an email detailing the next steps. We communicate our foster needs through a weekly email, as well as a private Facebook group that you can request to join once your application has been accepted.

Question about our application process? Contact our Foster Coordinator at: foster@nashvillehumane.org
615-352-1010 x 337

Underage: Puppies and kittens are not quite ready to be adopted until they’re at least eight weeks old. They need time for their immune systems to develop so that they are healthy enough for their spay/neuter surgery. We even have a program that will train you how to bottle feed and nurture neonate kittens!

Sick/Injured: Foster homes are a great place for our sick or injured animals to heal! Whether they’re recovering from something as routine as a spay/neuter surgery or fighting off an upper respiratory infection, foster homes give them a safe and loving space to heal.

Behavior/Socialization: With people and animals constantly coming and going, the shelter setting can be overwhelming for some animals! Home environments with one on one attention from fosters is extremely beneficial to their well being. Our foster homes provide the enrichment, training and/or behavior modification needed for these loving pets to attract the perfect family for them!

Time commitments for foster care can range from a few days to a few weeks, depending on the reason for foster placement. We are committed to providing you the support you need for the duration of the foster period. We will provide all medical care and work with you to ensure you can administer any in-home care required. We work hard to ensure that you have a positive, rewarding experience with the Nashville Humane Association Foster Program. We do our best to meet the needs of both the foster animal and your family!

Here is a list of typical time commitments for different animals:

  • Adult dog decompression breaks: 1-2 Weeks
  • Weaned kittens: 2-3 Weeks
  • Injured cats & dogs: 2-8 Weeks
  • Dogs recovering from an illness: 2-3 Weeks
  • Neonate kittens or underage puppies: 4-6 Weeks

Anytime an animal is exposed to another animal – whether that be at a park, veterinary office, or friend’s home, there is always the potential for a health risk. As long as the foster family’s animals at home are up to date on their vaccinations, maintain a healthy diet and are not elderly or very young – then any health risk is minimal. Proper hygiene and preventative measures will reduce the risk of disease. Please let us know if you have any questions about introducing your foster animal to your animals at home!

An NHA Foster opens their heart and their home to an at-need pet. They simply need to be willing to make a life-saving difference. Beyond that, Fosters should be able to provide:

  • A healthy and safe environment for their foster dogs and cats.
  • Transportation to and from the shelter for vet appointments as needed.
  • Socialization and cuddle time to help teach dogs and cats positive family and pet relationships.
  • Exercise and enrichment opportunities to keep our animals happy and healthy!NHA will provide all supplies throughout your time fostering with us! This includes food, treats, toys, collars, bowls, beds, crates and carriers. NHA also provides all medical care for your foster animal.

Consider Becoming a Foster for Temporary Care

Foster for Temporary Care, otherwise known as Crisis Fostering for owned pets! Email admissions@nashvillehumane.org and apply to Foster for Temporary Care today and thank you for helping us to keep pets with the families who love them!