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Rancho Coastal Humane Society
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Open Your Home.
Save a Life.

The Rancho Coastal Humane Society’s Foster Program gives abandoned companion animals safe, loving homes while they wait for adoption. Because space is limited, foster volunteers allow us to care for more animals and give them the second chance they deserve. 

Whether fostering for a few weeks or months, you’ll be helping animals become healthier, happier and ready for a forever home. 

Animals that Need Foster Care, Include:

  • Animals experiencing stress or behavior changes in the shelter environment. 
  • Animals recovering from illness, injury or medical treatment. 
  • Underage kittens and puppies that are not yet ready for adoption. 
  • Pets in our temporary care through the Animal Safehouse Program, which supports families in crisis. 

Why Foster?

Our foster volunteers provide love, daily care and enrichment while helping us learn more about each animal’s behavior, preferences and personality. This helps our Adoption Counselors make lifelong matches with adopters.

We Provide Everything You Need!

Fostering is completely FREE, Rancho Coastal provides: 

  • Food
  • Medical Care
  • Supplies like bedding, toys, baby gates, enrichment items, etc. 
  • Behavior & training support
  • Educational workshops & classes

Kitten Season Needs You

We accept foster applications year-round, but our greatest need is from April through November during “Kitten Season,” when an influx of newborn and juvenile kittens arrive in our care.

Kitten fostering requires frequent feedings, socialization, and close monitoring, but it is one of the most rewarding ways to save lives and prepare young kittens for adoption.

Foster Volunteer Requirements

  • Be at least 18 years old (teen fosters must participate with a parent or guardian).
  • Commit to a minimum three-week foster assignment in most cases.
  • Have reliable transportation for veterinary, adoption, and special event appointments, as well as emergency veterinary visits when needed.
  • Live within 30 miles of the Rancho Coastal campus (389 Requeza St., Encinitas, CA 92024). Foster animals may not be taken outside this area.
  • Communicate regularly with the Foster and Medical Teams through phone, email, text, and required foster surveys.
  • Follow all foster policies and procedures.
  • Complete online training and onboarding before accepting your first foster assignment.

How to become a foster

  • Fill out an application HERE.
  • Complete online training and onboarding.
  • Work with the Foster Team to determine which animal may be a good fit for your home. 
  • Keep your foster animal happy, healthy, and adoptable by providing humane care and staying in communication with the Foster and Medical Teams. 
  • Complete mandatory foster surveys to help us learn about your foster animal’s behavior and personality. 


Please Note: Completing an application and onboarding process does not guarantee a foster assignment. Foster homes are on an as-needed basis and availability of foster animals varies.

For more information, please contact foster@sdpets.org.

apply to be a foster

Teen Foster Program

The Rancho Coastal’s Teen Foster Program gives teens a meaningful, hands-on opportunity to help abandoned companion animals while earning community service hours for school or other organizations. This is a great way to gain experience in animal care, responsibility and compassion while helping prepare pets for adoption. 

Teen Fosters commit to a four-week minimum unless a shorter foster stay is arranged with the Foster Coordinator.

Teen Foster Requirements

  • Be at least 15 years of age.
  • Share an interest in animal welfare and helping animals in need.
  • Participate with a parent or guardian, who is an approved RCHS foster volunteer, complete onboarding, and serve as the responsible party throughout the foster assignment.
  • Follow all RCHS foster policies and guidelines.
  • Have reliable transportation for veterinary appointments and Foster Team meetings.
  • Submit required foster surveys, updates and photos to support the adoption process.

Teen Foster Responsibilities

  • Maintain daily logs of feedings, weights, medications and observations.
  • Attend follow-up and veterinary appointments.
  • Create an adoption biography for each foster animal at the end of the assignment.

How to get started

  1. Complete a Foster Application with a parent or guardian and indicate you are applying for the Teen Foster Program CLICK HERE!
  2. Complete online training and onboarding orientation (with parent/guardian) before accepting your first assignment.

 

Please Note: Completing an application and onboarding process does not guarantee a foster assignment. Foster homes are on an as-needed basis and availability of foster animals varies.

For more information e-mail
foster@sdpets.org

apply to be a foster