Fostering an Animal
Fostering a pet is a very rewarding experience and it really helps those animals who find it difficult to cope with life at the Sanctuary or those who need a specific type of care.
We find fostering works best in homes without other pets or children, and with people who are experienced with pet ownership.
Applicants should ideally live within 45 minutes of OAS, be at home for most of the day and have their own transport in case we need to see the animal at the sanctuary or if you you need to take them to the vet.
The Sanctuary will cover all the food and veterinary bills* plus we’ll provide items including beds, bowls and everything you need to settle them in. We’re also available to provide phone/email support whenever you need it.
* We prefer our animals to seen by our vets who have practices in Bicester and Waddesdon, so please bear this in mind. We are open to using other vets but only in special circumstances.
Our Fostering Needs…
Dog fostering: we are particularly keen to hear from you if you have experience with large breed dogs or have experience helping dogs with challenging behaviours through positive training methods.
From time to time, we also need fosterers who can offer palliative care for a elderly dogs, or to care for dogs who struggle to settle in our kennels.
Cat fostering: we find homes for cats very quicky and rarely need cats to be placed in foster care, however, sometimes we need people who can offer palliative care for an elderly cat or to help cats whjo do not settle into cattery environment.
Kitten fostering: raising kittens in a positive, home environment is very beneficial to their socialisation. Please get in touch if you have experience of rearing kittens, have no other pets, and are home for a large proportion of the day.
Rabbit Fostering: We’d love to hear from you, if you have experinece cariong for rabbits. You need to have an enclosure and run set-up already.
This must also meet the RWAF minimum standards which you can view here: https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-care-advice/rabbit-housing/outdoor-rabbit-housing/
Our Process
- Complete a fostering form to tell us about your home, lifestyle and preferences.
There’s a form for each species below. - If your application looks suitable for fostering animals, we will contact you.
- If/when we have a suitable animal for you to foster, we will be in touch to have a chat about your availability and next steps.
We receive a lot of interest in fostering for which we are extremely grateful.
However, please be aware that we do not need large numbers of foster carers, so many volunteers do not regularly have foster pets in their care and not all applications will be successful.
