Fostering Animals – San Francisco Animal Care and Control

Thank you so much for your kind offer to foster an animal. While we will receive and record your interest in fostering, you may not hear from us if we do not have animals in need. Please do not call to follow-up as the staff is very busy helping the animals and may not have time to return your call. Thank you for your understanding. Please take a look at our fostering needs and submit the appropriate application.

Foster Programs @ SFACC

All of our foster programs provide the supplies, medical treatment, and advice needed to help our foster homes succeed. Based on the program you are interested in, you will be sent additional instructions and materials, along with an introduction to the shelter staff that will be assisting you throughout your foster experiences

SFACC prefers that foster homes are located in San Francisco or within 30 minutes of the shelter. In case of emergency, we need for foster parents to be able to get foster animals to the shelter quickly for veterinary care.

Please note that while many of our foster volunteers end up adopting one of their animals, we ask that you foster a few times before committing to any animal in your care.

Kitten Foster Program: Kitten Season 2025 will begin this Spring. We’ll be in touch as we get closer to Kitten Season.

SFACC sees an extraordinary number of kittens born outside predictably from Spring through Fall – a time we lovingly refer to as “Kitten Season.” The shelter takes in roughly 800-1000 kittens during this time and we need your help! The Kitten Foster program helps us connect willing foster homes with the shelter staff so they receive appropriate care, socialization, and come back for adoption when the time is right. SFACC will give you all the supplies – you provide the time, love, and attention they need to grow up and graduate into adoptable companions!

Animals assisted by this program includes orphaned kittens, unweaned (bottle-fed) kittens, and mom cats with litters.

Thank you for your interest in fostering kittens during Kitten Season. SFACC staff will review applications and invite qualified applicants to a New Volunteer Orientation.

CHAMP (Caregivers Helping Animals Make Progress) We're not accepting applications at this time.

The CHAMP Foster Program serves adolescent and adult cats and dogs who need additional behavioral support and consideration in order to thrive and find successful placement outside of the shelter. These pets may be shy, stressed, and/or in need of additional socialization prior to going up for adoption with SFACC. Under the direction of the Behavior & Training team, foster homes help these animals build up confidence and basic manners in a home setting prior to their next steps towards a forever home.

Animals assisted by this program includes adolescent and adult dogs and cats with mild behavioral needs.

Thank you for your interest in fostering with SFACC. Our staff will review applications and invite qualified applicants to a New Volunteer Orientation.

Puppy Foster Program: We're not accepting applications at this time.

SFACC takes in dogs of all ages, including many puppies, throughout the year. Puppies under 8 weeks of age cannot yet receive the proper treatments and spay/neuter surgery required to make them available for adoption, so we always need willing and able foster homes ready to assist them until it is time to graduate into adoptable companions. All supplies are provided to our foster homes through SFACC. These puppies require time, attention, and socialization outside of the shelter in a safe, healthy environment; it can be a messy business, so please consider your ability to provide for all of these needs before you apply!

Animals assisted by this program include: orphaned puppies, unweaned (bottle-fed) puppies, mom dogs with litters.

Thank you for your interest in fostering with SFACC. Our staff will review applications and invite qualified applicants to a New Volunteer Orientation.

Kitten Foster Application

CHAMP (Caregivers Helping Animals Make Progress) We're not accepting applications at this time.

Small Animal Foster

Small Animal Foster Application

Puppy Foster Program: We're not accepting applications at this time.

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