HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Thinking about a new pet but can't adopt right now? Huntsville Animal Services needs foster families, and you can learn about their programs at an open house.
On Saturday, July 31, Huntsville Animal Services is hosting an open house for potential foster families for their pets. For people who can't make a long-term commitment or aren't sure if pet ownership is for them, fostering can be a better fit for both the person and the pup.
Open house hours are from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Saturday, July 31. If you attend the free session, you'll learn more about the City’s foster programs and participate in a brief orientation on what to expect. Dogs of all sizes and personalities will be available to greet potential foster parents.
Huntsville Animal Services is located at 4950 Triana Boulevard in Huntsville. Call 256-883-3783, visit HuntsvilleAL.gov/Animal or their Facebook page.
The most common foster home program is called Foster to Adopt. This program allows you a 14-day trial period with the dog and is for someone interested in adopting an adult dog, but would like to ‘test drive’ the dog at home. Although this is a very successful program, HAS warns owners that all new pets should be given at least 3 months to settle into a new home and new routine. Some pets like puppies, kittens, small dogs and others may not be eligible for this program.
The newest foster home program is called a Sleep-Over. This program allows the fostering party to take home a pet for 1 to 4 nights. Upon returning the pet to the shelter, the fostering party will complete a form sharing all the information collected about the pet during their visit including information such as: did the pet like other pets, housebroken, tolerates cats, likes children, etc. This program helps HAS develop a profile for the shelter pet.
Another foster program called the Foster to Rehome program is for sick pets, aged pets, and underaged puppies and kittens. Additionally, sometimes a fostering party takes care of the dog until it becomes adopted. These volunteers take appealing photos of the pet inside a home and along with a narrative about the pet’s personality are submitted to be posted on the HAS Facebook page.
