Fostering

Our motto: When you foster one, you save two!
When you foster cats, kittens, dogs, or puppies for the Little Rock Animal Village, you create space for more pets at the shelter, help keep the animal you are fostering healthy, and also give them the advantage of becoming accustomed to life in a home. Fostering is the most direct way to help an animal—you are giving him or her a second chance at life. Whether you live in a house or an apartment, in the city or out in the country, LRAV can find a foster match for you!
​
Short-Term | 2-14 days
If you're interested in short-term animal care, you might like to foster dogs or cats who have been selected for a rescue transport leaving directly from the Animal Village. Four to five times a month, a van comes to the Little Rock Animal Village and takes an entire truck load of dogs or cats to one of several "destination" shelters out of state where they have more adopters than they have available animals, exactly the opposite of the issue we face here. Foster homes are needed to ensure that the animals selected for transport aren't at risk of contracting an illness at the shelter in the days before their big trip. For more information, contact us.
Medium-Term | 2-4 weeks
Bottle feeders (or bottle babies) | These are kittens under four weeks old who need to be bottle fed every 2-6 hours depending on how old they are. Since these kittens don't have a mom, you will also have to help them go to the bathroom, keep them clean, wean them, and train them to use a litterbox.
You'll need a warm, safe area in which to confine bottle babies, preferably a cage or large carrier. Some foster parents even convert an extra bathtub into a kitten area. Because warmth is so important, kittens should have access to a towel-covered heating pad, set on low. They must have enough space to be able to crawl off the heating pad if it gets too warm. If you are fostering a single kitten, provide a stuffed animal or something fuzzy for the kitten to cuddle. (Description borrowed from Maddie's Fund) Check out this bottle baby foster handbook from PSPCA.
​
Kittens | The Little Rock Animal Village takes in hundreds of young kittens a year that have already weaned but won't be big enough to be sterilized (and thus adopted out) for several weeks. That's where our Kitten Foster Army comes in. Foster homes are absolutely crucial for kittens until they reach about the 8 week mark, at which point they are usually big enough to be spayed/neutered and adopted out. Not only do foster homes help free up absolutely needed space at the shelter, but they also help keep the kittens healthy at a crucial point in their development. Check out our Q&As for Feline Fosters. Interested in fostering cats and/or kittens? For more information on becoming a kitty foster, call us at 501-725-0250 or email us.
Dogs | Puppies entering the Animal Village need a safe place to go until they can be fully vaccinated and placed up for adoption. That's where you come in! The shelter needs people who can take in new puppies so they don't have to spend the night at the shelter and be exposed to potential health threats. You'll bring your foster puppy or puppies back after 2 weeks for a booster, then return them to the shelter after 4 weeks when they'll get their final shot and be available for adoption. You provide food and love, and the shelter provides the puppy and puppy shots.
​
​
Ready to get started with a local rescue? Apply to foster a dog and we'll hook you up with one who can have you saving animals in no time!
​
​
Still not sure? Have more questions? Send us an email or give us a call at 501-725-0250 anytime. The person who will answer your call or email does all of the above, and they can answer your questions and help you determine if fostering is right for you.
​
The dogs and cats you see in the gallery below are just a few of the foster babies our board members have cared for.
​
